Today is the day of military glory of Russia - Victory Day of the Russian squadron under the command of F.F. Ushakov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Tendra.
The battle took place during the Russian-Turkish War (1787-91). The Ottoman Empire, having secured the support of England and Prussia, demanded the return of Crimea to it, the recognition of Georgia as Turkish vassal possessions and the introduction of significant restrictions on the passage of Russian merchant ships through the Black Sea straits.
At dawn on August 28 (Old Style), 1790, Ushakov’s Russian squadron suddenly appeared in the area where the Turkish fleet was stationed near Tendra. At 15 o'clock, having approached the range of a grape shot, the Russian ships opened fire. The main blow of their main forces was aimed at the Turkish vanguard, where the Turkish flagships were located. Ushakov's flagship ship "Rozhdestvo Khristovo" fought three ships at once, forcing them to leave the line.
After two hours of a fierce duel, the remaining Turkish ships, unable to withstand the fire, began to turn to the wind and leave the battle in disarray. But during the turn, a series of powerful volleys fell on them, leading to great destruction. Two Turkish flagship ships, located opposite the Nativity of Christ and the Transfiguration of the Lord, were especially damaged. The Turks' confusion increased. Ushakov continued the pursuit of the junior flagship's ship. The Russian ships followed the example of their leader. 3 Turkish ships were cut off from the main forces, but the onset of night saved the Turkish fleet. The ships of Ushakov's squadron anchored to repair the damage.
Seeing the Turkish fleet standing nearby at dawn on August 29, Ushakov ordered to immediately weigh anchor and attack it. The Turks, not having time to recover from the recent battle, decided to flee. Pursuing them, the Russian squadron forced the surrender of the 66-gun ship "Melehi Bahri" and the 74-gun ship of the junior Turkish flagship "Kapudanie", which was burning at the time of surrender and soon exploded. Only 20 people escaped and were captured, including Admiral Seyid Bey. On the way to the Bosphorus, another 74-gun ship and several small ships sank due to damage. In addition, the enemy lost two more small vessels and a floating battery that ran aground.
In reports to the Sultan, Turkish flagships wrote that the number of killed and wounded “extended” to 5,500 people. The Russians lost 46 people killed and wounded.
The victory of the Black Sea Fleet at Tendra was complete, made a significant contribution to the outcome of the war, made it possible to clear the northwestern part of the Black Sea of enemy ships and opened free access to the sea for the ships of the Liman flotilla. As a result, with the assistance of the Russian flotilla that entered the Danube, Russian troops took the fortresses of Kiliya, Tulcha, Isakchi and, finally, Izmail.
Tendra is inscribed in the history of world naval art. Admiral Ushakov became one of the first Russian flagships recognized by Europe, and the innovator of maneuverable naval combat tactics, which paid off in the battle, led to the destruction of Turkish dominance in the Black Sea and established Russia's position on its shores.
Illustration: “The Battle of Tendra Island on August 28-29, 1790” Blinkov Alexander Alexandrovich
In 1787, the rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and Russia once again resulted in war. The reason for the new aggravation of relations was the actual liquidation of the Crimean Khanate and the annexation of its territory to Russia, as well as a significant strengthening of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.
The Ottoman Empire, relying on the support of Great Britain, Prussia and France, presented an ultimatum to Russia demanding the restoration of the vassalage of the Crimean Khanate and Georgia, as well as the right to inspect Russian ships passing through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.
After the expected refusal followed, war broke out.
The very beginning of the war turned out to be a gross miscalculation of diplomats of the Ottoman Empire, who had no information that Russia had by that time concluded an anti-Turkish military alliance with Austria. When it became obvious that the Turks found themselves face to face with not one, but two strong opponents, it was too late to turn back.
The war, which was extremely unsuccessful for the Turks, took a favorable turn for them in 1790: the Austrian army was defeated at Zhurzha, Emperor Joseph II died, and his successor expressed his readiness to begin peace negotiations with the Ottoman Empire.
The thwarted landing and the revenge admiral
Under these conditions, the Turks decided to intensify their efforts in the fight against Russia, primarily relying on the power of their fleet.
In July 1790, the army of the Ottoman Empire was preparing a large-scale landing in the Crimea, but in the Kerch Strait, the Turkish fleet, which was transporting the army to the peninsula, collided with the Russian flotilla under the command of Rear Admiral Fyodor Ushakov.
An unplanned “date” with Russian ships ended in the flight of the Turkish fleet and the failure of the landing operation.
The Turks knew firsthand about the formidable Ushak Pasha, whose ships acted contrary to generally accepted canons in battles. Nevertheless, Commander of the Turkish Fleet Hussein Pasha was confident that he would defeat Ushakov’s squadron. His confidence earned him favor Sultan Selim III.
Having gathered the main forces of the fleet between Hajibey and Cape Tendra, Hussein Pasha prepared to fight the Russian squadron.
Sudden visit
On August 28 (September 8, new style), 1790, Turkish ships spotted the enemy marching in formation from the direction of Sevastopol.
The appearance of Ushak Pasha's squadron, which Hussein Pasha so longed for, was completely unexpected for the Turkish sailors. So unexpected that the Turks, despite their superiority, began to cut the anchor ropes in order to hastily retreat to the mouth of the Danube.
Ushakov, true to his tactics, allocated three frigates as a maneuverable reserve, and attacked the enemy with all his remaining forces.
Having forced the Ottoman fleet to take the fight, Ushakov’s sailors, with the first salvos of the Battle of Tendra, upset the Turkish battle line, after which the enemy ships, one by one, began to withdraw from the artillery duel.
After two hours of battle, the Turkish fleet, having received serious damage, began to retreat in full force. The pursuit of the enemy, begun by Ushakov, was interrupted by the onset of darkness.
Return of the Prodigal Ambrose
The next morning it turned out that the fugitives and pursuers were standing in close proximity to each other. Moreover, the Russian frigate Ambrose of Milan got so lost that it found itself in the middle of a formation of Turkish ships.
Self-control saved the Russian sailors. Captain Neledinsky, who commanded the Ambrose, noticed that the Turks did not react in any way to the presence of the Russian ship, mistaking it for one of their own. The flags and pennants on the ships had not yet been raised, which contributed to the Turks' mistake.
Neledinsky did not fuss and, having taken his place in the ranks of the Turkish ships, continued to follow along with the enemy, gradually falling behind. When the distance became safe, the frigate raised the St. Andrew's flag and hurried to return to her own.
There was no organized battle on the second day of the Battle of Tendra on the part of the Turkish fleet. The ships tried to break away from Ushakov's squadron, and those lagging behind came under deadly fire from their pursuers.
The death of "Kapudania"
Among the stragglers were the 66-gun battleship "Lord of the Seas" and the 74-gun flagship "Kapudania", on board which was a Turkish Admiral Said Bey, sent to help Hussein Pasha personally by the Sultan.
“Lord of the Seas,” having lost its commander in battle, surrendered to the Russians. "Kapudania" under the command of Said Bey fought desperately. Surrounded by Russian ships, the flagship was not going to surrender until Ushakov himself approached it on the flagship of the Russian squadron and demolished all the masts with volleys at point-blank range. After this, Kapudania raised a white flag.
Russian boats approached the Turkish flagship, engulfed in fire, taking away some of the officers, including Said Bey. It turned out to be impossible to save everyone - the Kapudania blew up, sending about 700 Turkish sailors and the fleet's treasury to the bottom.
The death of the Capudania ended the battle. The losses of Ushakov's squadron, which consisted of 10 battleships, 6 frigates, 1 bombardment ship and 20 auxiliary ships, equipped with a total of 830 cannons, amounted to 21 people killed and 25 wounded. Hussein Pasha's squadron, consisting of 14 battleships, 8 frigates and 23 auxiliary ships, with a total of 1,400 guns, lost 2 battleships and 3 auxiliary ships drowned, as well as more than 2,000 sailors killed. In addition, the Russians captured one battleship and several auxiliary ships. Several more Turkish ships that managed to escape from Ushakov’s squadron received serious damage.
Ushakov + Suvorov = victory
The victory of Fyodor Ushakov's squadron in the Battle of Tendra deprived the Turkish army of the help of the fleet, which freed the hands of the Dnieper flotilla, which played an important role in the capture of Izmail in December 1790 by Russian troops under the command of Alexandra Suvorova.
The Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791 ended with the unconditional victory of Russia, largely predetermined by the naval victories of the Russian fleet under the command of Fyodor Ushakov.
Every year on September 11, Russia celebrates the Day of Military Glory - the Day of the victory of the Russian squadron under the command of Fyodor Ushakov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Tendra.
Today is September 11: Victory Day of the Russian squadron over the Turks at Cape Tendra. Day of military glory of Russia. In 1790, the Russian squadron under the command of Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov defeated the Turkish squadron at Cape Tendra.
Victory Day of the Russian squadron under the command of Fyodor Ushakov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Tendra (1790) - this holiday was established by the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 “On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia.” On August 28 (September 8), 1790, during the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791, a battle took place between the Russian and Turkish squadrons at Cape Tendra in the northeastern part of the Black Sea. The victory at Cape Tendra ensured the lasting dominance of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea in the 1790 campaign.
During the two-day naval battle off the island. Tendra in 1790 10 battleships, 6 frigates, 20 auxiliary ships (total 826 guns) by Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakov attacked the anchored Turkish fleet of Kapudan Pasha Hussein (14 battleships, 8 frigates and 23 small vessels, a total of 1,400 guns). After a 1.5-hour battle, the Turks withdrew from the battle. The next day, the Russian squadron pursued the Turks fleeing to the Bosphorus. The battleship Meleki-Bokhri was captured and several ships were destroyed. The passage of the Russian rowing flotilla to the Danube and its participation in the capture together with the troops of A.V. were ensured. Suvorov of a number of fortresses, including Izmail.
The victory of the Black Sea Fleet at Tendra was complete, made a significant contribution to the outcome of the war, made it possible to clear the northwestern part of the Black Sea of enemy ships and opened free access to the sea for the ships of the Liman flotilla. As a result, with the assistance of the Russian flotilla that entered the Danube, Russian troops took the fortresses of Kiliya, Tulcha, Isakchi and, finally, Izmail.
Tendra is inscribed in the history of world naval art. Admiral Ushakov became one of the first Russian flagships recognized by Europe, and the innovator of maneuverable naval combat tactics, which paid off in the battle, led to the destruction of Turkish dominance in the Black Sea and established Russia's position on its shores.
Holiday calendar in September.
The time has come to introduce you to a new section on our website - “Days of Military Glory of Russia”.
The first holiday will be September 11 - the Day of Military Glory of Russia. Victory Day of the Russian squadron under the command of F.F. Ushakov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Tendra in 1790.
Location
The first thing that interested me was the location of this cape. To be honest, I had never heard of Cape Tendra before. Googled it. It turned out that it was in the northern part of the Black Sea - in the territory of what is now Crimea and Ukraine, not far from Odessa.
The following is under what circumstances the battle took place and what led to it.
Prerequisites
The battle itself took place as part of the next Russian-Turkish war. It lasted 5 years: from 1787 to 1792. It was preceded by the battle of the Kerch Strait, after which Kapudan Pasha Hussein (commander of this Turkish fleet) retreated to the Turkish shores, patched up the holes of his ships, took with him several battleships - the main striking force of any fleet of that time and returned to the shores of Russia in early August 1790.
On August 17, Hussein Pasha approached the exit from the Dnieper estuary, anchoring his entire fleet between Tendra Island and the coast near Hajibey. This situation allowed the Turkish fleet to block the exit from the Dnieper estuary and keep control of the Liman-Sevastopol communication, important for the Russian fleet, preventing the connection of the Sevastopol naval fleet with new ships from Kherson.
Comparison of enemy forces
The Turkish fleet under the command of Hüseyin Pasha included:
- 14 battleships (up to 1000 guns, up to 10,000 crew).
- 8 frigates (up to 360 guns).
- 23 bombardment ships, small cruisers and floating batteries.
As part of the Russian fleet under the command of Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakov numbered:
- 10 battleships (596 guns).
- 6 frigates (240 guns).
- 1 bombardment ship.
- 1 rehearsal vessel.
- 17 small cruising ships and 2 fire ships.
- The total number of crews reached 7,969 people, including 6,577 people on battleships and frigates.
In general, even with the naked eye one can see that the superiority of power was clearly on the side of the Turks. However, Ushakov would not have become such a great admiral if he had not gone on the attack first.
Don't think that this was a spontaneous decision. One of the principles that helped Fedor Fedorovich win always and everywhere was the following: “Know where the enemy is, in what numbers and what his intentions are.”
Start of the battle
The battle itself began on September 8, 1790 and lasted 2 days. Based on the results of timely reconnaissance, Ushakov knew even before leaving Sevastopol that the enemy forces were superior to the fleet at his command, but this did not prevent the great naval commander from confidently launching the attack first.
By 8 o'clock in the morning on September 8, the Russian fleet was sailing exactly downwind from Sevastopol and became a real contrast shower for Husein Pasha, who could not even think that Ushakov would decide to attack first.
The Russian commander ordered the sails to be increased and, “taking advantage of the enemy’s strong wind and disorder, he hurried to get closer and attack.” The Turkish fleet, having cut off the anchor ropes and set sail in disarray, tried to evade the battle.
But Ushakov, without wasting time on changing into battle formation, pursued the enemy in marching order and at noon created a threat to the lagging ships of the Turkish fleet. Fearing that his rearguard might be cut off from the main forces of the fleet, Kapudan Pasha was forced to turn and began to build a battle line.
At a signal from Fedor Fedorovich, the Russian fleet at 12 o'clock also moved into the battle line and also turned after the Turks, maintaining a windward position. At the same time, he, fearing a counter-offensive if the wind direction changed, ordered the leading three frigates - “John the Warrior”, “Jerome” and “Protection of the Virgin” - to leave the general formation and build a reserve corps.
This formation also made it possible to unite the forward part of the battle line, concentrating at its head 6 battleships with support from those frigates - 68% of all the fleet's guns. A kind of dagger tip was formed, ready to pierce its opponent at the first opportunity.
After this, at the signal “Go down on the enemy,” the Russian fleet approached the Turkish fleet within the range of a grape shot (less than 100 meters) and at 15 o’clock entered into a fierce battle. Under the fire of Russian ships, the Turks suffered great damage and losses and involuntarily descended into the wind, pursued by a persistent enemy (Ushakov).
At about 16 o'clock, one of the flagship Turkish ships - an advanced 80-gun ship, which was also extremely fast, took the lead and, turning around, tried to win the wind in order to hit the lead ship of the Russian fleet, St. George the Victorious, with longitudinal fire.
At a signal from the Russian rear admiral, the frigates of the “reserve corps” increased their speed and stopped this daring attempt. Having come under fire from the frigate “John the Warrior,” commanded by Captain 2nd Rank A.G. Baranov, the Turkish ship descended into the wind and passed between the lines of hostile fleets, hit by cannonballs from the ships of the Russian vanguard and corps de battalion.
The flagship of Kapudan Pasha Hussein also suffered serious damage, attacked by Ushakov’s flagship “Rozhdestvo Khristovo” and the strongest ships neighboring it.
At about 5 p.m. on September 8, unable to withstand the heavy fire from the Russians, Kapudan Pasha and the entire Turkish fleet fled in disarray. During the retreat maneuver, the ships of Hüseyin Pasha and the next-highest flagship, the three-bunched Pasha (Admiral) Seit Bey, came dangerously close to the Russian battle line.
“Nativity of Christ” and “Transfiguration of the Lord” inflicted new serious damage on these ships, and “Kapudania” under the flag of Seit Bey lost its main parts.
The Russian fleet, under full sail, pursued the enemy until 20:00 in the evening, when the latter, “considering the lightness of the ships,” somewhat broke away from the pursuit and, without lighting the lights, began to hide in the darkness.
End of the battle
At dawn on September 9, the Russians again set sail and from 7 a.m. continued to pursue the ships of the Turkish fleet, which, following the movements of Kapudan Pasha, maneuvered in disarray in order to reach the wind.
The general pursuit allowed the fastest Russian ships to get ahead and by 9 a.m. cut off the damaged 66-gun battleship Meleki-Bahri, which rushed to the shore.
Behind him rushed the 66-gun ship "Mary Magdalene" under the pennant of captain of brigadier rank G.K. Golenkin, the 50-gun ship "St. Alexander Nevsky" under the command of captain 2nd rank N.L. Yazykov, as well as two frigates .
At about 10 o'clock in the morning, surrounded by Russian ships and considering resistance hopeless, captain Kara-Ali surrendered the Meleki-Bahri to brigadier G.K. Golenkin. 560 Turkish sailors were captured, the remaining 90 crew members of the Meleki-Bahri were killed or died from wounds received in the battle of the previous day.
Most of the Turkish ships, led by Kapudan Pasha, managed to escape into the wind and retreat to the Turkish shores. However, the damaged 74-gun ship of Sait Bey "Kapudania", abandoned by his comrades, at 10 o'clock in the morning was overtaken by captain 1st rank R. Wilson on the 50-gun ship "Saint Andrew the First-Called", who shot down the enemy ship with his fire fore topsail and forced him to slow down.
This allowed the ships “St. George the Victorious” and “Transfiguration of the Lord” to get closer to the “Capudania”, and soon the strongest ship in the fleet, “Nativity of Christ”.
Seit Bey and captain Makhmet-deriya desperately defended themselves, but the “Nativity of Christ” approached the “Kapudania” at a distance of no more than 30 fathoms (54 meters) and inflicted a severe defeat on it with heavy gun fire.
All three masts of the Turkish ship fell overboard, and the “Nativity of Christ” entered unhindered from the bow to complete the defeat of the enemy. But at that moment - about 11 o'clock - the Turkish sailors poured out and asked for mercy.
“Kapudania” was already burning - thick smoke appeared on it. The boat sent by the Russians managed to remove Sait Bey himself, the commander and 18 other “officials” from the ship. Other boats could not reach the hull, which was engulfed in flames.
Soon "Kapudania" was blown into the air. The Russians were left to pick up survivors of the explosion from the water and from the wreckage. Thus, 81 people were saved.
Russian cruising ships, not without success, pursued the scattered small ships of the enemy. They captured a Turkish lançon, a brigantine and a floating battery that had run aground.
Results of the battle
The total losses of the Turkish fleet in the battle were 2 battleships and 3 small vessels. 733 people were captured, including the admiral and four commanders. Another 74-gun ship of Arnaut-Asan-captain and several small Turkish ships sank from holes in fresh weather during the retreat.
The losses of the Turkish fleet in people, except prisoners, according to a rough estimate, amounted to at least 1,400 people killed and wounded, of which up to 700 sailors and officers died along with the Capudania.
After the battle, Hüseyin Pasha gathered his battered ships at Cape Kaliakria (the western coast of the Black Sea), and then soon headed to the Bosporus, where the Turkish fleet disarmed at Tersana.
In November, prisoners reported to the Russians rumors circulating in Constantinople
“When Captain Pasha arrived with the fleet, he reported falsely, allegedly he defeated our fleet, but they soon learned that they were very defeated and had a great loss in ships, at the same time, Captain Pasha disappeared without anyone knowing, they think that he fled.”
Damage to Russian navy ships was generally minor. On the "Nativity of Christ", "St. Alexander Nevsky", "Peter the Apostle" the shot masts required replacement (one at a time). Other ships had only light damage to their spars and sails. And on the St. Paul, one gun on the upper deck exploded due to its firing. Of the personnel, 46 people were killed, of which 21 people died in the battle.
As a result of the defeat of the Turkish fleet at Tendra and its retreat, the Russian Black Sea Fleet F.F. Ushakova successfully united with the Liman squadron and later returned to Sevastopol.
An important strategic result of the battle was the conquest of the fleet in the northern part of the Black Sea. This allowed the Russians to constantly maintain communication between Liman and Sevastopol, and on September 29 - October 1 to freely transfer the Taganrog squadron of captain brigadier rank S.A. to Sevastopol. Pustoshkin, which included two new 46-gun ships “Tsar Konstantin” and “Fedor Stratilat”, a brigantine and 10 cruising ships.
The victory at Tendra Island was highly appreciated by the commander-in-chief and Empress Catherine II. So Field Marshal General Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky in the fall of 1790 visited the “Nativity of Christ” on the roadstead against Gadzhibey, gathered and congratulated the ship commanders on the victory.
The commander-in-chief considered the battles of Kerch and Tendra to be the most important argument in negotiations with the Turks for peace and reproached the Ottoman military leaders for hiding defeats:
“Their lazy captain-pasha, having been defeated near Teman, fled with the damaged ships like a whore, and now five more ships are being repaired, and he said that he sank several of our ships. This lie was published by the vizier. Why do they lie and deceive themselves and the sovereign? Now the fleet also had a battle where they lost the “Capitania” and another large ship was taken, on which the captain was Kara-Ali... But all of those ships and people would have been intact if peace had already been made.”
“I cannot sufficiently describe the courage, skill and goodwill of the commander, Rear Admiral and Cavalier Ushakov. Squadron commander of brigadier rank captain and cavalier Golenkin and all ship commanders deserve the highest V.I.V. mercy."
Results
This was the first great victory at sea for the great naval commander Fyodor Fedorovich Ushakov. For this, he, as well as other commanders who took part in this battle, were awarded a huge number of medals and orders for courage.
In addition, on January 11, 1791, Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakov with a warrant from G.A. Potemkin was appointed commander of the entire fleet and military ports under the general leadership of the commander-in-chief. This appointment placed in the hands of Ushakov not only all floating ships, but also the rear structures of the fleet and allowed him to best prepare the fleet for the 1791 campaign.
I really enjoyed re-reading the articles and collecting material on this topic. Now I know the details of one of the great battles on our native Black Sea. And the best part is, you know too.
Congratulations on the upcoming holiday!
The annexation of Crimea to Russia in 1783 and the strengthening of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea led to a significant deterioration in Russian-Turkish relations. Incited by England and France, the Porte presented Russia with an ultimatum in August 1787, but, having received a decisive refusal, declared war and began military operations in the Black Sea in September.
According to the Russian plan, the Black Sea Fleet was supposed to assist ground forces, defend the Crimean coast from a possible landing and disrupt enemy communications at sea.
During the campaign of 1790, the commander of the Turkish fleet, Kapudan Pasha Hussein, attempted to land troops in Crimea and, with the support of the Crimean Tatars, capture and burn Sevastopol. However, when approaching the Crimea, the Turks were met by a Russian squadron under the command of Rear Admiral F.F. Ushakov. On July 8, 1790, “against the mouth of the Yenikalsky Strait and the Kuban River,” as Ushakov himself designated this place, a five-hour battle took place between the Russian and Turkish squadrons, which ended with the flight of the enemy, who managed to take their damaged ships with them. This victory eliminated the threat of a Turkish landing in the Crimea and an attack on Sevastopol, and was the immediate predecessor to the naval battle at Cape Tendra.
After an unsuccessful collision with the Russian squadron of Kapudan Pasha, Hussein decided to adhere to wait-and-see tactics and moved with his fleet to the Ochakov area. The Turkish squadron, consisting of 14 battleships, 8 frigates, 23 auxiliary ships and numbering about 1,400 guns, was significantly superior to Ushakov's squadron, which gave Hussein hope of success in a new battle.
At the beginning of August 1790, the Russian army launched an offensive against the Turks on the Danube.
To support it, a rowing flotilla was prepared in Kherson under the command of O. M. Deribas, but due to the presence of a large Turkish squadron in the western part of the Black Sea, it could not make the transition to the Danube. On August 25, a squadron under the flag of the rear admiral, consisting of 10 battleships, 6 frigates, 1 bombardment ship and 20 auxiliary ships, numbering about 830 guns, came to her aid from Sevastopol on August 25.
Following in the direction of Ochakov, Ushakov discovered on August 28, near Tendra, Turkish ships of Hussein’s squadron anchored. The Russian naval commander decided to immediately attack the enemy, without rearranging his squadron from marching order to combat order. Taken by surprise, the Turkish ships began to retreat to the mouth of the Danube in disarray. The Russian squadron in three columns attacked the rearguard of the Turkish fleet, trying to cut it off from the main forces. This forced the Kapudan Pasha, having lined up the front ships in a battle line, to turn back to cover the rest of his fleet.
At 15 o'clock, the Russian ships, having approached the enemy within shotgun range, resolutely attacked him.
Unable to withstand the attack, the Turkish ships retreated and, taking advantage of their superior speed, disappeared into the darkness at about 20 o'clock. The ships of the Turkish flagships were especially damaged. With the onset of darkness, the pursuit was stopped, and Ushakov, due to signs of stormy weather, ordered to anchor for the night.
At dawn on August 29, the Russian squadron again discovered Turkish ships and attacked them. Cutting off the anchor ropes, the Turks panicked and tried to break away from the enemy. During the chase, the admiral's ship "Captain" was overtaken, set on fire and captured, and two battleships were destroyed. In addition, on August 29-30, during the pursuit, the Russian squadron captured three and destroyed several small Turkish ships. Turkish losses amounted to more than two thousand people, including more than 700 prisoners. Advisor to Kapudan Pasha Hussein, Admiral Said Bey, was captured. The Russian fleet had no losses in ships; 21 people were killed and 25 were injured.
The victory in the naval battle at Cape Tendra ensured the lasting dominance of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea in the campaign of 1790 and created favorable conditions for active offensive operations of the Russian army and rowing flotilla on the Danube. It was achieved thanks to the outstanding naval leadership abilities of Admiral F.F. Ushakov, the skill and courage of the sailors of the Russian fleet.
In the battle of Tendra, the features of advanced maneuverable tactics of naval combat, the creator of which was: the use of a single marching and combat formation, approaching the enemy at a short distance without redistributing the marching formation into a combat one, concentrating fire on a decisive object and incapacitating it first enemy flagships, fighting at grapeshot range and pursuing the enemy to complete his complete defeat or capture. For the defeat of the Turkish fleet at Tendra he was awarded the Order of St. George, II degree.