The 18th century was a century of constant clashes between the Russian and Ottoman empires. The interests of St. Petersburg and Istanbul intersected in the Balkans, Transcaucasia, Crimea and even Poland. To support the national liberation movement in Greece and destabilize the situation within the Ottoman Empire, the Morean Expedition was organized, the general leadership of which was carried out by Count Alexei Orlov.

For the first time, the idea to send a squadron from the Baltic to the shores of the Aegean Sea, to raise and support the uprising of the Orthodox peoples living there against the Turks, was expressed by Grigory Orlov in early November 1768, even before the signing of the manifesto declaring war. It is likely that Gregory simply voiced his brother’s ideas and conveyed them to Catherine. Alexey wrote to Gregory about the tasks of such an expedition and the entire war: “If we are going to go, then go to Constantinople and free all the Orthodox and pious from the heavy yoke. And I will say as the sovereign said in the letter: drive their infidel Mohammedans into the sandy steppes to their former homes. And then piety will begin again, and we will say glory to our God and the Almighty.”

MANIFESTO OF CATHERINE II

On January 19, 1769, the “Manifesto to the Slavic peoples of the Balkan Peninsula” was published: “The Ottoman Porta, out of ordinary malice towards our Orthodox Church, seeing the efforts made for our faith and our law, which we tried in Poland to bring to its advantages approved by ancient treatises, which from time to time were forcibly stolen from him, breathing vengeance, despising all the rights of the people and the truth itself, for only one thing, due to its inherent treachery, destroying the eternal peace concluded with our empire, the beginning of the most unjust, for without any legal reason, against us war, and thus convinced us now to use the weapons given to us by God...

We, out of jealousy for our Orthodox Christian law and out of regret for the peoples of the same faith who are suffering in Turkish enslavement, living in the regions mentioned above, exhort all of them in general and each one especially, to take advantage of the circumstances of the present war that are beneficial for them to overthrow the yoke and bring themselves to still in independence, taking up arms wherever and whenever it is convenient, against the enemy common to all Christianity, and trying to cause possible harm to him.”

HARD WAY

On August 6, 1769, Spiridov’s squadron went to sea. And so it began. On August 20, a leak opened on the most powerful ship “Svyatoslav” - it returned to Revel with difficulty. Around the same time, the ship "St. Eustathius Placidas lost the foremast. Upon arrival in Copenhagen on September 10, there were more than 300 people sick on the ships. 54 people died. In return, 800 Danish sailors were hired. There, in Copenhagen, Spiridov, by his own decision, added to the squadron the 66-gun ship "Rostislav", sailing from Arkhangelsk to the Baltic. We stayed in Copenhagen for 10 days. Six days later, while sailing at night in the Kattegat Strait, the pink Lapomnik hit the reef. The other ships of the squadron barely escaped its fate thanks to the cannon signal - however, they could not save the pink by removing it from the reef. On October 6, the squadron arrived at the roadstead of the English port of Gull. Here we had to leave the ship "Three Saints", the pink ship "Venus" and the bombardment ship "Thunder" for repairs. The number of patients then exceeded 700 people. Urged on from St. Petersburg, Spiridov moved on - however, on October 21, he was able to withdraw only two ships from Hull - “Eustathius” and “Northern Eagle” - and on the latter, two weeks later, a strong leak opened, and he returned to Portsmouth. So, on November 17, 1769, only one “Eustathius” approached Gibraltar from the entire Russian squadron.

In total, by Christmas, seven pennants were collected in the port of Magon on the Balearic Islands: four ships, a frigate and two kicks. Another ship, Rostislav, lost two masts during a storm at the end of January and was able to join the squadron in March.

And already on the last day of February 1770, what was left of the Russian squadron arrived on the shores of Greece - where hostilities were supposed to begin. It's funny that the Turkish fleet missed the chance to destroy the Russian ships one by one - it simply did not occur to them that the Russians could appear from this side.

The first operations of the Russian fleet were amphibious, and the bulk of the paratroopers were Greek rebels... Among the Peloponnesian operations was the capture of the strong fortress of Navarino - in the bay of which, 57 years later, in 1827, the united Anglo-French-Russian fleet would once again burn the Turkish-Egyptian fleet. Then, in 1770, under Navarino, grandfather’s brother A.S. distinguished himself. Pushkin - artillery brigadier I. A. Hannibal, the eldest son of “the Blackamoor Peter the Great”.

At the same time, reinforcements arrived at the Orlov-Spiridov squadron: in early May, the so-called. The 2nd Archipelago Squadron, consisting of four ships and two frigates, under the command of the desperate Rear Admiral D. Elphinstone. This reinforcement traveled a path that, in all its specifics, was similar to the path of its predecessors - the ship “Tver”, which left Kronstadt, was lost along the way, as well as the ship “Northern Eagle”, picked up in Portsmouth, which had lagged behind Spiridov’s squadron. There, in England, a locally built frigate was purchased in return and a number of sailors were hired.

STRENGTHS OF THE PARTIES

The Russian squadron included 9 battleships of various armaments, a bombardment ship, 3 frigates and several small ships that played auxiliary roles. The total number of crews was about 6,500 people. Admiral Grigory Spiridov became the de facto leader of the operation.

The Turkish fleet of the Kapudan Pashas Ibrahim Husaeddin, Hasan Pasha and Kafer Bey was much more impressive: 16 battleships, 6 frigates, 19 galleys and shebeks and 32 auxiliary ships with 15,000 people on board. However, Turkish sailors were significantly inferior to Russian sailors in training.

WAS

Initially, the battle began in the Gulf of Chios, but after the first clashes the Turks decided to retreat to Chesme Bay, where coastal artillery could be used against Russian ships.

The Russian naval commanders intended to engage in close combat with possible boarding battles. It was clear that they could not withstand a long cannon duel at long distances - the enemy’s advantage was so great.

The Turks, on the contrary, were disposed to meet the Baltic squadron with regular gunfire and, in case of failure, to retreat to Chesme Bay under the cover of numerous coastal artillery.

The first chords were played in the Chios Strait on July 5, 1770. Russian ships attacked the southern end of the enemy formation. The beginning of the collision was unsuccessful for the Russian sailors due to the fact that the lead ships were unable to synchronously perform an approach maneuver, destroying the battle formation. However, Admiral Spiridov boldly abandoned his flagship “St. Efstafiy" against "Real Mustafa" - the Turkish flagship. While “Efstafiy” was breaking through to “pistol range,” a fire started on it from numerous hits. But it was impossible to stop the ship's movement. The two ships locked sides and the boarding began. The fire spread to the Real Mustafa and after a while both ships exploded. The demoralized Turks retreated to Chesme Bay. A similar tactic was used by Admiral G. Nelson in 1805 during the Battle of Trafalgar, although Admiral Spiridov should be considered its inventor.

On July 5, the Baltic squadron shelled the bay. At the same time, 4 fire ships (special vessels that were used for sabotage) from small vessels were prepared. On the evening of July 6, the bombardment ship Grom stood in the roadstead of the bay and began a firefight with the Turks. He was supported by the battleships "Europe" and "Rostislav". The shooting was supposed to be psychological in nature and to divert the attention of the Turks from the fire ships. The first three fire ships were unable to complete the task - one of them ran aground and sank because of this, the crew deserted from the second fire ship, the third fire ship under the command of Prince. Gagarin was set on fire too early and was unable to inflict damage on the Turkish fleet. However, the fireboat under the command of Lieutenant Ilyin successfully reached the location of the Turkish fleet and set fire to the battleship. The explosion of the gunpowder magazine on the ship caused gigantic destruction: burning debris flew into other ships, spreading fire. At the end of the battle, the Russians were forced to stop shooting and rescue the surviving Turks. By 8 a.m. on July 7, it was all over.

The Ottoman Empire immediately lost most of its fleet. 15 battleships were lost, 6 frigates, 1 battleship and 5 galleys were captured. This brilliant victory became a real school of Russian naval combat, the power of which was yet to be discovered. In memory of this battle, a commemorative medal was minted for Russian sailors, which depicted one of the scenes of the death of the Turkish fleet. In addition to the place and date of the battle, there was only one word on the medal - “Byl”, meaning “there was a Turkish fleet, but not now.”

TURKISH HISTORIOGRAPHER

After this, the Ottoman fleet entered the port of Chesme, where enemy ships also arrived and the battle began again. The impact of the cannons set the surface of the sea on fire. The enemy ships, throughout the entire naval battle, were under sail in order to protect themselves from danger and death in port seven. The entry of Captain Pasha into the port of Chesmensky, judging by the obviousness of the matter, was undertaken by the power of fate.

While Captain Pasha made every effort to repel the enemies, the latter sent several fireships filled with oil and other flammable substances against our Fleet. They succeeded in setting fire to some of our ships; and others, hastening to their aid and uniting with them, were also engulfed in flames and burned. This happened on the night of the 14th, the month of Rebi-eli-evvel in the year 1184 from Gejira.

The troops on other ships scattered without battle along the shores of Smyrna and other places. Kapitan Pasha and Jezairlu Hasan Bey were wounded. Ali, the ruler of the ship and other officers, wanting to save themselves by swimming, died in the waves of the sea.

SPIRIDOV'S REPORT

Spiridov reported to the Admiralty Board in St. Petersburg to its President, Count Chernyshov:

“Glory to God and honor to the All-Russian Fleet! From the 25th to the 26th, the enemy fleet was attacked, defeated, broken, burned, sent into the sky, drowned and turned to ashes, and left in that place a terrible disgrace, and they themselves began to dominate the entire Archipelago of our Most Gracious Empress.”

G.A. Spiridov in the project “100 Great Commanders”

ORLOV'S LETTER

Feelings evoked by the Chesma victory, A.G. Orlov vividly expressed it in a letter to his brother:

“Sir, brother, hello! I’ll tell you a little about our voyage: We were forced to leave the Sea, having lit fires everywhere; with the fleet they went after the enemy, reached him, approached him, grabbed him, fought, defeated, won, broke, sank and turned to ashes.”

A.G. Orlovin the project “100 Great Commanders”

Chesma (Chesme) was a town with a citadel on the western coast of Asia Minor, opposite the island of Chios. In the bay near which Chesma stands, the famous Chesme fight- Part Archipelago Expedition 1769-1774.

Shortly before this, two Russian squadrons united: Admiral Spiridova, who had been in the Archipelago before, and Rear Admiral Elphinstone, who had just arrived there from Russia. The Commander-in-Chief was Count Alexey Grigorievich Orlov, who raised the Keizer flag on the ship “Three Hierarchs” (commander - Brigadier S.K. Greig), and united his fleet on June 15 near the island of Paros. The Turkish squadron had left here only three days earlier and headed north - as it was believed, to the Dardanelles. Count Orlov, fearing to miss the enemy, hurried after him with the intention of defeating him.

Battle of Chesme. Video

The Russian fleet consisted of nine ships (all 66-gun, except the 84-gun Svyatoslav), three frigates (one 36 and two 32-gun), one 10-gun bombardment ship and seventeen light ships. Having seen the enemy fleet at anchor behind the island of Chios on June 23, our fleet, on the morning of June 24 (July 5), 1770, with a quiet tailwind, entered the Chios Canal from the north, separating the mentioned island from the coast of Anatolia. Along this coast and near it, north of the Chesme Bay, the Turkish squadron was anchored in two lines. It consisted of 16 ships (of which six were from 80 to 90 guns, and the others, like the Russians, were 66 guns), 6 frigates and up to 60 small ships and transports. The commander-in-chief, Captain Pasha Ghassan ed-Din, was on the shore in the camp, and the fleet at that moment was commanded by the brave Algerian Ghassan Bey, who said that it was necessary to engage with the enemy ships and take off with them. But since his ships were at anchor and could not follow this rule, while the Russians, who were under sail, took the initiative in the battle.

The enormity of the enemy forces initially struck Count Orlov. But, firmly trusting in God and in the courage of his subordinates, he, on the advice of his flagships and captains, decided to attack the Turkish fleet. Orlov ordered the production of springs (cables connected by anchors that hold the ship in a given position), in case he had to anchor against the enemy. Having built a line of battle, Orlov moved towards the Turks in the following order:

Vanguard : Ships “Europe” (Captain Klokachev), “Eustathius” (Captain Cruz, Admiral Spiridov), “Three Saints” (Captain Khmetevsky).

Cordebatalia : “Januarius” (Captain Borisov), “Three Hierarchs” (Brigadier Greig, Count Alexei Orlov), “Rostislav” (Captain Lupandin).

Rearguard : “Don’t touch me” (Captain Beshentsov), “Svyatoslav” (Captain Roxburgh, Admiral Elphinstone), “Saratov” (Captain Polivanov).

Before noon, the ship "Europe", having brought on the port tack (that is, becoming the left side to the wind), opened fire on the leading enemy ship, which had the flag of the commander-in-chief. But soon, at the insistence of the pilot, who was threatening the proximity of the shoal, he turned to starboard tack, giving way to the ship Eustathius, which was following him. So, around noon on June 24, the Chesme battle began and lasted until two in the afternoon. Six Russian ships, which made up the vanguard and corps de battalion, successfully acted against the first enemy ships to enter. But three ships of our rearguard only approached the enemy before the end of the battle and fired from afar.

The wind died down completely during the battle. The ship "Eustathius" was in the strongest fire. Three ships acted against him, and he concentrated his fire on the ship of the Turkish commander-in-chief, got close to him with a rifle shot and, having lost control from many damage to the spars and sails, flew into this ship, so that hand-to-hand combat ensued between their crews. Soon the captain pasha's ship caught fire. Then Admiral Spiridov and General Count Fyodor Grigorievich Orlov, who commanded the landing forces in the fleet, left the ship "Eustathius" on the packet boat "Postman". At the same time, rowing ships were sent from the Russian fleet to the ship “Eustathius” to help. The Turks rushed from the burning ship towards ours. The battle continued and finally the mainmast of the Turkish ship, having caught fire, fell on the Eustathius. Sparks hit the crash chamber, and our ship flew into the air. The Turkish one exploded after him. In this misfortune, from 508 to 628 Russian sailors died with the Eustathius, including from 30 to 35 officers (this is how modern and official testimony differs). The Turkish ships, cutting off the ropes, set sails and fled south to Chesme Bay. The Russian fleet, being damaged, did not pursue the enemy, who had taken refuge in the depths of the bay, but moved to its entrance and anchored.

Battle of Chesma 1770. Plan

At the military council after this battle, it was necessary to attack and destroy the enemy fleet, for which Brigadier Hannibal (Felt Master General of the Fleet) was instructed to make four fire ships. The bomber ship, placed in front of our fleet, threw bombs at the enemy. By the morning of the next day, June 25 (July 6), 1770, the Russian fleet stood in front of the mouth of Chesme Bay in a semicircle, at a distance of one cable or one hundred fathoms from the ship, and the Turks built batteries on the flanks of our line and strengthened their position, having four ships ahead in the line. Behind them, the entire mass of their ships stood right next to the shore.

By the evening of June 25, the fireships were ready and entered the detachment of captain brigadier rank Greig. It was assigned to attack the Turkish fleet and consisted of four ships, two frigates and one bombardier. The calm north wind and moonlit night favored the proposed attack, and at half past one o'clock in the morning on June 26 (July 7), 1770, the ship "Europe" was already on the spring against the enemy and opened fire. For half an hour he withstood it alone, until the other ships of the mentioned detachment arrived, and the Chesma battle continued. Soon one Turkish ship caught fire, followed by another; then, at a signal, the fire ships were launched. Three of them were unsuccessful, and the fourth, under the command of Lieutenant Ilyin, grappled with a large Turkish ship and was set on fire.

The consequence was the explosion of this ship. This was followed by a general fire of the enemy fleet, which lasted from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. The Turkish ships took off one after another, so that the Russians managed to save only one 60-gun ship "Rhodes" and five galleys from the fire. 14 ships, 6 frigates and more than fifty Turkish vessels burned down. The trophies of the winners of the Battle of Chesma, in addition to the ship and five galleys, were 22 copper guns of 24 and 30-pound calibers taken from the northern battery, and several more guns raised off the coast, as well as those left by the Turks in Chesma, from where they left for Smyrna (Izmir). The occupation of Chesma did not provide any benefits, and this place was abandoned, and the rich city was not taken, due to the plague raging in it.

Chesme fight. Painting by I.K. Aivazovsky, 1848

Our damage in both Chesme battles, in addition to the loss of the ship “Eustathius” with its crew, amounted to slightly more than 50 people killed and seriously wounded. After this brilliant victory, the entire Russian fleet was declared royal favor, and the annual salary and prize money according to the naval regulations were not counted. In memory of the battle of Chesma, a medal was stamped with a portrait of Catherine II on one side and with a burning Turkish fleet on the other, under the laconic inscription “Was.” All participants in the Chesme battle wore silver medals on a blue ribbon in their buttonholes.

The Russian victory was complete. The entire Turkish fleet was destroyed; only two ships remained that were not in action. The Russians gained dominance in the Aegean Archipelago, however, limiting themselves to only a weak blockade of the Dardanelles and an unsuccessful siege of the Pelaro fortress on the western coast of Lemnos. In early September, the 80-gun ship Svyatoslav, which was under the flag of Admiral Elphinstone, crashed on the eastern reef of the island of Lemnos, which further weakened the blockade of the Dardanelles, entrusted after Elphinstone to Rear Admiral Greig. Meanwhile, the fear that spread after the Battle of Chesme, when the Turks even waited for the arrival of the victorious Russian fleet to the walls of their capital, passed in Constantinople. Late in the year, Count Orlov united all the ships of his squadron in the port of Auza on the northern coast of the island of Paros, and this ended the naval campaign of 1770.

In Admiral Greig's own journal it is said that the ship "Europe", with the ship "Eustathius" approaching it from behind, was forced to move forward and, having lost the enemy because of this, turned on another tack, descended and again took its place in the line behind the ship "Rostislav" "

Battle of Chesma 1770

During the Russian-Turkish War, the Russian fleet defeated the Turkish fleet in Chesme Bay. The Chesma naval battle took place on June 24-26 (July 5-7), 1770. It went down in history as one of the best naval battles of the 18th century.

How it all began

There was a Russian-Turkish war. 1768 - Russia sent several squadrons from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to divert the attention of the Turks from the Azov flotilla (which then consisted of only 6 battleships) - the so-called First Archipelago Expedition.

Two Russian squadrons (under the command of Admiral Grigory Spiridov and the English adviser Rear Admiral John Elphinstone, united under the general command of Count Alexei Orlov, discovered the enemy fleet in the roadstead of Chesme Bay (west coast of Turkey).

Strengths of the parties. Arrangement

The Turkish fleet, under the command of Ibrahim Pasha, had a double numerical advantage over the Russian fleet.

Russian fleet: 9 battleships; 3 frigates; 1 bombardment ship; 17-19 auxiliary vessels; 6500 people. The total armament is 740 guns.

Turkish fleet: 16 battleships; 6 frigates; 6 shebek; 13 galleys; 32 small vessels; 15,000 people. The total number of guns is more than 1400.

The Turks lined up their ships in two arched lines. The first line had 10 battleships, the second - 6 battleships and 6 frigates. Small vessels were located behind the second line. The deployment of the fleet was extremely close; only the ships of the first line could fully use their artillery. Although there are different opinions about whether the ships of the second line could fire through the gaps between the ships of the first or not.

Battle of Chesma. (Jacob Philipp Hackert)

Battle plan

Admiral G. Spiridov proposed the following plan of attack. The battleships, lined up in a wake formation, taking advantage of the windward position, were supposed to approach the Turkish ships at right angles and strike at the vanguard and part of the center of the first line. After the destruction of the ships of the first line, the attack was intended to hit the ships of the second line. Thus, the plan proposed by the admiral was based on principles that had nothing to do with the linear tactics of Western European fleets.

Instead of distributing forces evenly along the entire line, Spiridov proposed concentrating all the ships of the Russian squadron against part of the enemy forces. This made it possible for the Russians to equalize their forces with the numerically superior Turkish fleet in the direction of the main attack. At the same time, the implementation of this plan was associated with a certain risk; the whole point is that when approaching the enemy at a right angle, the Russian lead ship, before reaching artillery salvo range, came under longitudinal fire from the entire line of the Turkish fleet. But Spiridov, taking into account the high training of the Russians and the poor training of the Turks, believed that the Turkish fleet would not be able to cause serious harm to the Russian squadron at the time of its approach.

Progress of the battle

Battle of the Chios Strait

June 24, morning - the Russian fleet entered the Chios Strait. The lead ship was the Europe, followed by the Eustathius, on which was the flag of the vanguard commander, Admiral Spiridov. At approximately 11 o'clock, the Russian squadron, in accordance with the previously planned attack plan, approached the southern edge of the Turkish line under full sail, and then, turning around, began to take up positions against the Turkish ships.
To quickly reach artillery salvo range and deploy forces for an attack, the Russian fleet marched in close formation.

The Turkish ships opened fire at about 11:30, from a distance of 3 cables (560 m), the Russian fleet did not respond until they approached the Turks for close combat at a distance of 80 fathoms (170 m) at 12:00 and, turning to the left, fired a powerful salvo from all guns at predetermined targets.

Several Turkish ships were seriously damaged. The Russian ships “Europe”, “St. Eustathius”, “Three Hierarchs”, that is, the ships that were part of the vanguard and the first to start the battle. After the vanguard, the ships of the center also entered the battle. The battle began to become extremely intense. The enemy's flagships were especially heavily hit. The battle was fought with one of them, the flagship of the Ottoman fleet Burj u Zafer. Eustathius." The Russian ship caused a number of serious damage to the Turkish one, and then went on board.

In hand-to-hand combat on the deck of a Turkish ship, Russian sailors showed courage and heroism. A fierce boarding battle on the deck of the Burj u Zafera ended in Russian victory. Soon after the capture of the Turkish flagship, a fire broke out on it. After the burning mainmast of the Burj u Zafera fell onto the deck of the St. Eustathius,” he exploded. After 10-15 minutes. The Turkish flagship also exploded.

Before the explosion, Admiral Spiridov managed to leave the burning ship and move to another. The death of the flagship Burj u Zafera completely disrupted the control of the Turkish fleet. At 13 o'clock the Turks, unable to withstand the Russian attack and fearing the fire would spread to other ships, hastily began to cut the anchor ropes and retreat to Chesme Bay under the protection of coastal batteries, where they were blocked by the Russian squadron.

As a result of the first stage of the battle, which lasted about 2 hours, one ship was lost on each side; the initiative completely passed to the Russians.

Battle of Chesme Bay

June 25 - at the military council of Count Orlov, Spiridov’s plan was adopted, which consisted in the destruction of enemy ships in his own base. Considering the crowding of Turkish ships, which excluded them from the possibility of maneuver, Spiridov proposed destroying the enemy fleet with a combined strike of naval artillery and fire ships, with the main blow to be delivered by artillery.

To attack the enemy on June 25, 4 fire ships were equipped and a special detachment was created under the command of the junior flagship S.K. Greig, consisting of 4 battleships, 2 frigates and the bombardment ship "Thunder". The attack plan developed by Spiridov was as follows: the ships allocated for the attack, taking advantage of the darkness, were to secretly approach the enemy at a distance of 2-3 cabs on the night of June 26. and, having anchored, open sudden fire: battleships and the bombardment ship "Grom" - on the ships, frigates - on the Turkish coastal battery.

Having completed all preparations for the battle, at midnight, at a signal from the flagship, the ships designated for the attack weighed anchor and headed to the places indicated for them. Approaching a distance of two cables, the ships of the Russian squadron took places according to the disposition established for them and opened fire on the Turkish fleet and coastal batteries. "Thunder" and some battleships fired mainly with guns. Four fireships were deployed behind the battleships and frigates in anticipation of an attack.

At the beginning of the second hour, a fire broke out on one of the Turkish ships from a hit firebrand, which quickly engulfed the entire ship and began to spread to neighboring enemy ships. The Turks were confused and weakened their fire. This created favorable conditions for attacking the fireships. At 1:15 a.m., four fireships, under the cover of fire from battleships, began to move towards the enemy. Each of the fireships was assigned a specific ship with which it should engage in battle.

Three fireships, for various reasons, were unable to achieve their goal, and only one, under the command of Lieutenant Ilyin, completed the task. Under enemy fire, he approached an 84-gun Turkish ship and set it on fire. The crew of the fireship, together with Lieutenant Ilyin, boarded the boats and left the burning fireship. Soon the Turkish ship exploded. Thousands of burning debris scattered throughout Chesme Bay, spreading the fire to almost all Turkish ships.

At this time, the bay looked like a huge flaming torch. One after another, enemy ships exploded and flew into the air. At four o'clock, the Russian ships ceased fire. By that time, almost the entire enemy fleet was destroyed.

Chesme Column

Consequences

After this battle, the Russian fleet was able to seriously disrupt Turkish communications in the Aegean Sea and establish a blockade of the Dardanelles. As a result, this played an important role during the signing of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi peace agreement.

By decree, to glorify the victory, the memorial Chesme Hall (1774-1777) was created in the Great Peterhof Palace, and 2 monuments were erected in honor of this event: the Chesme pilaster in Tsarskoe Selo (1778) and the Chesme monument in Gatchina (1775). ), and also the Chesme Palace (1774-1777) and the Chesme Church of St. John the Baptist (1777-1780) were built in St. Petersburg. The Battle of Chesma in 1770 was immortalized in cast gold and silver medals made at the behest of the Empress. Count Orlov was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st degree, and received the honorary addition of Chesmensky to his surname; Admiral Spiridov received the highest order of the Russian Empire - St. Andrew the First-Called; Rear Admiral Greig was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, which gave him the right to hereditary Russian nobility.

The Battle of Chesma is a striking example of the destruction of an enemy fleet at the location of its base. The victory of the Russian fleet over twice the enemy's strength was achieved thanks to the correct choice of moment to deliver a decisive blow, a sudden night attack and the unexpected use of fire ships and incendiary shells by the enemy, well-organized interaction of forces, as well as the high morale and combat qualities of the personnel and the naval skill of the admiral Spiridov, who boldly abandoned the formulaic linear tactics that dominated the Western European fleets of that era. On the initiative of Spiridov, such combat techniques were used as concentrating all the forces of the fleet against part of the enemy forces and conducting combat at extremely short distances.

On June 26 (old style), 1770, the naval battle in Chesme Bay ended with the glorious victory of the Russian fleet, the result of which was the complete defeat of the Turkish squadron, which was twice as strong as the Russian one.

This event occurred during the next Russian-Turkish Won (1768-1774), during which Russia sent several of its squadrons from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea to divert Turkish forces from our Black Sea Fleet. Two Russian squadrons (under the command of Admiral G.A. Spiridov and Rear Admiral J. Elphinston, united under the general command of Count A.G. Orlov, discovered the Turkish fleet.

On June 24, the Russian fleet set out in full sail towards the Turkish line and entered into battle with the enemy squadron in the Chios Strait. Despite the fact that the Turkish fleet consisted of 16 battleships, 6 frigates, and up to 50 smaller ships, and the Russian fleet consisted of 9 battleships, 3 frigates, 1 bombardier ship, 1 packet boat and 13 smaller ships, the Turks were defeated and retreated .

“The Turkish fleet was significantly stronger than the Russian one both in the number of ships and in their artillery power,” noted the famous historian E.V. Tarle . - ...But the Turkish high naval command knew how to arrange its ships for battle, but it was absolutely incapable of leading them in battle. To begin with, Kanitan Pasha considered it prudent to move to the shore before the battle and did not appear from there again while the battle was going on.”

During this battle, the commanders of the Russian squadron used new military tactics. To deliver a decisive blow, they launched an attack in a line perpendicular to the enemy, which was very risky, since the Russian ships, approaching the Turkish ones, were subjected to longitudinal artillery fire from some of the Turkish ships, being themselves deprived of the opportunity to respond with a broadside salvo. But the calculation based on rapid rapprochement with the enemy paid off. After the loss of their flagship, the Turkish ships retreated, taking refuge in Chesme Bay, protected by coastal batteries.

“When the air was cleared of smoke, - wrote the pre-revolutionary researcher of this battle A.Ya. Glotov, - then they saw that the enemy stopped in complete disorder in the Chesme Bay under the fortress and most of his ships were aground.”. Our ships, having blocked the exit from the bay, began to prepare to continue hostilities.

The next day, June 25, after serving a thanksgiving service, at a military council convened by Count A.G. Orlov, Admiral Spiridov’s plan was adopted, which consisted in the destruction of Turkish ships at their own base. Drawing attention to the crowding of enemy ships in Chesme Bay, which practically excluded the possibility of maneuver for them, Spiridov proposed destroying the Turkish fleet with a joint strike of naval artillery and fire ships (arson ships). For this purpose, 4 fire ships were hastily equipped and a special detachment was created consisting of 4 battleships, 2 frigates and the bombardment ship "Thunder". According to Spiridov’s plan, the strike force under the command of Rear Admiral S.K. Greig, under cover of darkness, was to secretly approach the enemy on the night of June 26 and, anchored, open powerful targeted fire: the battleships and the bombardment ship “Grom” were to strike at Turkish ships, and frigates at coastal batteries.

“The Turks, for their part, - notes A.Ya.Glotov , - took all measures for defense. Captain Pasha hoped to repel the Russians; but Hassan Bey was of a contrary opinion, foreseeing the disastrous consequences of confining the Turkish fleet in the cramped bay. Hassan convinced Captain Pasha, without wasting a little time, to take advantage of the favorable wind that was blowing then and, forming in two columns, leave the Chesme Bay; but his prudent advice was rejected. The Turkish leader relied on his position and on the batteries built on the northern and started on the southern cape. “Meanwhile, the Russians, without wasting time, secretly completed their preparations.”

The plan adopted at the military council was carried out almost exactly. After a fire broke out on one of the Turkish ships as a result of shelling, which quickly spread to neighboring enemy ships, the Turks were confused. Taking advantage of the favorable moment, Russian fire ships rushed into the attack, whose task was to engage with enemy ships and set them on fire. “When the Russian fire ships began to approach the Turkish fleet, then, according to Hassan Pasha himself (who told this to Baron Tott), the Turks were at first convinced that these were Russian deserters going to voluntarily surrender, - writes E.V. Tarle . - And the Turks “prayed for the safe arrival of [the Russian ships], at the same time firmly deciding to shackle [their] crew and already anticipating the pleasure of leading them in triumph to Constantinople.”. This curious mistake helped the commander of one of the fireships, Lieutenant D.S. Ilyin, to do his job perfectly. Approaching the 84-gun Turkish ship, Ilyin set it on fire. Having completed the task, the team, together with the commander, boarded the boat and successfully left the burning fireship. A few minutes later, a huge explosion occurred on the Turkish ship, scattering thousands of burning debris across the bay and spreading the fire to almost all the ships of the Turkish fleet. Chesme Bay, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, was a huge flaming torch. One after another, the Turkish ships exploded and flew into the air. By 4 o'clock in the morning almost the entire Turkish fleet was destroyed. The Russian fleet emerged from this brilliant battle without losing a single ship.

S.K. Greig wrote in his journal: “It is easier to imagine than to describe the horror, stupor and confusion that seized the enemy. The Turks stopped all resistance, even on those ships that had not yet caught fire... Entire teams, in fear and despair, rushed into the water, the surface of the bay was covered with a great many unfortunates, fleeing and drowning each other... The Turks were so afraid “It is great that they not only abandoned ships ... and coastal batteries, but even fled from the castle and city of Chesma, abandoned by the garrison and residents.”

“The Turkish fleet had not yet come to their senses from the first battle, and there was such turmoil that another ship was facing us with its stern,” Prince Yu.V. Dolgorukov, a participant in the Battle of Chesma, recalled. - With several firebrand shots, Klokachev (captain 1st rank, commander of the ship “Europe” - - A.I.) set the entire Turkish fleet on fire. In addition, of the four fireships, one, Ilyina, attached itself to the flanking Turkish ship, which greatly aggravated the fire. Greig and I were driving around in the boat, and at dawn we saw that only the ship "Rhodes" had not burned down; they took him and brought him to our fleet. They wanted to pull out another ship, but a mast fell on it from another burning ship: it itself caught fire, and we were forced to leave it. It is almost impossible to imagine this terrible spectacle that we saw in the Chesma port. The water, mixed with blood and ash, took on a very nasty appearance. The corpses of people, burnt, floated on the waves, and the port was so filled with them that it was difficult to move the boats around.”

At the end of the battle, Count A.G. Orlov gave the order to pick up wounded Turks at sea and “transport them to a ship to bandage the wounds and provide possible assistance.” According to the surviving report, there were “many” Turks saved in this way, and when their health began to improve, “a large number of them were given freedom in the Most High Name of Her Imperial Majesty.”

Admiral Spiridov wrote in a report: “Honor to the All-Russian Fleet! From 25 to 26, the enemy navy... attacked, defeated, broke, burned, sent into the sky, sank and turned to ashes, and they themselves began to become dominant in the entire archipelago... ".

In memory of the Chesme victory, a medal was soon knocked out, which, as stated in the decree of Empress Catherine the Great, complained “to all those who were in this fleet during this Chesma happy incident, both naval and land lower ranks (...), so that in memory they wear them on a blue ribbon in their buttonhole”. Count Orlov was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st degree, receiving the honorary addition to his surname “Chesmensky”; Admiral Spiridov was awarded the highest order of the Russian Empire - St. Andrew the First-Called; Rear Admiral Greig was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd class, which gave him the right to hereditary Russian nobility, and Lieutenant Ilyin received the Order of St. George, IV class, for his feat. In honor of this victory, the Chesme obelisk was erected in Gatchina, and the Chesme column was erected in Tsarskoe Selo. In the capital of the Russian Empire, they decided to perpetuate this glorious victory of the Russian fleet by building the Chesme Palace and the Chesme Church. The name “Chesma” was borne by a squadron battleship of the Russian navy, and during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, one of the Russian settlements (now a village in the Chelyabinsk region) was named Chesma. Already in our time, in July 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments to the law “On Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates of Russia”, deciding to consider the Day of the Victory of the Russian Fleet in the Battle of Chesma as the Day of Military Glory of Russia.

Glorifying the success of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Chesma, the poet M.M. Kheraskov wrote:

I sing the war of the sea, descendants! for your sake,
May you hear the voice of the zealous muse.
I don’t need flowers, the delights there are in vain,
Where glorious deeds are clear by themselves.
Russia is throwing thunder at its enemies from everywhere!
Already the Archipelago sees northern eagles.
My lyre strives not to sing fables,
The Chesmes battle took place in the eyes of the world.
<...>
Arise, singer of the gods, great man, arise,
Teach me to speak, Homer, curse Chesmes!
You left us with your heroes in memory,
Whom he glorified for his exploits at ancient Troy;
The Russian country gives birth to such
For fallen Greece in modern times.

Prepared Andrey Ivanov, Doctor of Historical Sciences

SUBJECT: Battle in the Chios Strait and the Battle of Chesme .

Issues covered:

1. Background of the battle.

2. Battle in the Chios Strait.

3. Battle of Chesma.

1. Background of the battle.

G.A. It was clear to Spiridov that without striking the Turkish fleet it was impossible to achieve success on land. A.G. Orlov, at the insistence of the admiral, decided to transfer military operations to the sea. By this time, Russian naval forces in the Archipelago had increased after the arrival of D. Elphinstone's squadron, consisting of 3 ships, 2 frigates and 3 other vessels.

May 15 G.A. Spiridov with four battleships and a frigate left Navarino to join the squadron of D. Elphinstone. A detachment of A.G. was left to defend the fortress. Orlova (battleship and several small ships).

The second Archipelago squadron under the command of Rear Admiral D. Elphinstone, consisting of three battleships “Tver”, “Saratov”, “Don’t Touch Me”, frigates “Nadezhda” and “Africa”, three transports and a kick (total 3250 people) left from Kronstadt on October 9, 1769. The ship "Tver", which lost all its masts during a storm in the Baltic Sea, returned to Revel, and the ship "Svyatoslav" joined the squadron instead. After a difficult transition, the squadron reached England, where all the ships were docked for repairs. At the beginning of May 1770, D. Elphinstone approached the shores of the Morea and, without waiting for the order of Commander-in-Chief A.G. Orlova, on his own initiative, landed landing troops delivered from Russia in the Kolokinthian Bay in the port of Rupino and ordered them to go to Mizithra.

After the landing of the troops, D. Elphinstone, having received information from the Greeks about the presence of the Turkish fleet nearby, instead of joining the squadron G.A. Spiridova went in search of the Turks. On May 16, having passed Cape Angello, Russian sailors saw the enemy near the island of La Spezia. Ignoring the fact that the Turkish fleet, consisting of 10 battleships, 5 frigates and 7 small ships, was three times stronger than his squadron, Elphinstone, who cared only about his own glory, without waiting to join the first squadron, recklessly rushed at the Turks. In the admiral’s determination to enter into battle with such unequal forces, a significant role was played by the ambition of the Englishman, who did not want to share the laurels of a possible victory with the Russian admiral, while the defeat of D. Elphinstone, meanwhile, would inevitably lead to the defeat of G.A. Spiridova. At six o'clock in the evening, the Russian detachment caught up with the Turks, and a battle broke out between the ships near the island of La Spezia. “Don't Touch Me”, “Saratov”, supported by the frigate “Nadezhda”, attacked two Turkish ships. Turkish Admiral Ibrahim Hasan Pasha, who assumed that in front of him was only the vanguard of the Russian fleet, followed by the main forces, hastened to take refuge under the protection of the batteries of the Napoli di Romagna fortress.

On the morning of the next day, May 17, D. Elphinstone attacked the Turkish ships standing on springs under the cover of batteries. Russian ships fired while moving. The bowsprit on the Turkish flagship caught fire from the Svyatoslav's shots, and it left the battle line. The Russian ships also received some minor damage, with up to 10 people killed and wounded. Fearing that with the onset of calm the ships would not be able to maneuver, and realizing that on his own he would not be able to defeat the superior enemy forces, D. Elphinstone left the bay.

After holding out for 5 days at the entrance to the Gulf of Nauplia and receiving information that the squadron G.A. Spiridov is in Kolokinth Bay, D. Elphinstone went to meet the admiral and on May 22 united with him near the island of Tserigo.

After the departure of D. Elphinstone, the Turkish fleet hastened to leave the Gulf of Nauplia, and our united squadrons overtook it on May 24 already near the island of La Spezia. The ships in the vanguard, despite the distance, opened fire on the enemy, but did not achieve any hits. From that time, that is, from May 25, the Russian pursuit of the fleeing fleet of Kapudan Pasha continued for almost a month. It should be noted that the Turkish ships were not inferior to the Russians either in the quality of construction or in the strength of the artillery.

The Turks, pursued for two days, finally disappeared from sight between the islands of Zeya and Fermo, and our fleet, lacking fresh water, went into Rafti Bay after it, and D. Elphinstone’s detachment managed to capture a 4-gun enemy battery at the Negropont fortress.

Meanwhile, Turkish troops approached Navarino, and the Russians’ presence in this port was under threat. Therefore, on May 23, the fortifications of the fortress were blown up, and the remaining ships under the command of A.G. Orlova on May 27 left to join the fleet that was waiting for him between the islands of Hermia and Milo.

2. Battle in the Chios Strait.

G.A. Spiridov and D. Elphinstone, pursuing one common goal, sailed together, but given their independence from each other and the daring, quarrelsome character of D. Elphinstone, they could not help but quarrel. Having learned about the quarrel between the flagships, Commander-in-Chief Count A.G. Orlov, without examining their mutual claims, took command of both squadrons and on June 11 raised the Kaiser’s flag on his ship “Three Hierarchs”.

Now our fleet consisted of 9 battleships (one 80-gun and eight 66-gun), 3 frigates, 1 bombardment ship, 3 kicks, 1 packet boat and 13 mercenary and prize ships. There were about 740 guns on Russian ships.

Having learned from the Greeks that the Turkish fleet had gone north from the island of Paros, Russian ships also headed north along the Asia Minor coast. A detachment sent out on June 23 in search of the enemy fleet by Brigadier S.K. Greig (battleship "Rostislav" and 2 small ships), soon discovered it anchored in the strait between the coast of Asia Minor and the island of Chios. At 5 p.m. he raised the signal: “I see enemy ships.” The Turkish fleet consisted of 16 battleships (one 100-gun, one 96-gun, four 84-gun, one 80-gun, two 74-gun, one 70-gun, six 60-gun), 6 frigates and up to 60 small ships , galleys, etc.

The Turks stood in two lines along the Anatolian coast. The first contains the 10 most powerful battleships with 70–100 guns, the second contains 60 guns. Moreover, the ships of the second line stood in the gaps between the ships of the first line. This formation made it possible for the Turks to bring artillery on one side of all ships into battle at once. Small ships were located between the shore and the lines of battleships. There was an enemy camp on the shore. In total, the Turkish fleet had over 1,400 guns. The fleet was commanded by the Algerian sailor Jaizairmo Hassan Bey, famous for his bravery; the chief commander of the fleet, Kapudan Pasha (Admiral General) Hassan-Eddin, moved ashore and was in the ground forces camp located on the nearest shore.

“Seeing such a structure,” reported Count A. Orlov, “I was horrified and in the dark: what should I do?”

On the night of June 24, a military council was held on the ship “Three Hierarchs” in which A.G. participated. and F.G. Orlovs, G.A. Spiridov, D. Elphinstone, S.K. Greig, General Yu.V. Dolgorukov. It adopted a plan for attacking the Turkish fleet. Departing from the rules of linear tactics that prevailed in European fleets, a new tactical technique was chosen: to descend on the enemy in a wake column almost perpendicular to his battle line and attack under sail from a short distance (50–70 m) the vanguard and part of the center and deliver a concentrated blow on the Turkish flagship, which should have led to disruption of the control of the Turkish fleet.

On June 24, 1770, at 11 o'clock in the morning, with a calm northwest wind, the Russian fleet, being in the wind relative to the Turks, formed a line and began to approach the enemy.

The fleet was built in an order battle. Nine battleships were divided into three equal groups: vanguard - battleships “Europe” (captain 1st rank F.A. Klokachev), “Eustathius” (flag of Admiral G.A. Spiridov, commander captain 1st rank A. I. von Kruse), “Three Saints” (Captain 1st Rank S.P. Khmetevsky); corps de battle - battleships "Ianuarius" (captain 1st rank I.A. Borisov), "Three Hierarchs" (Kaiser flag A.G. Orlova, commander-captain-brigadier S.K. Greig), "Rostislav" (captain 1st rank V.M. Lupandin); rearguard - battleships "Don't Touch Me" (flag of Rear Admiral D. Elphinstone, commander-captain 1st rank P.F. Beshentsov), "Svyatoslav" (captain 1st rank V.V. Roxburgh), "Saratov" "(Captain 2nd Rank A.G. Polivanov). The Russian fleet included only one 80-gun ship, the Svyatoslav, the rest of the ships were 66-gun. In total, the Russians had 608 guns.

The bomber ship, frigates, packet boats and other small vessels sailed outside the line and did not participate in the battle.

The ship "Europe" was leading, heading almost to the middle of the enemy line, perpendicular to it. The next in line, Eustathius, was so close that its bowsprit almost touched the stern of the Europa. When “Europe” approached the enemy within a cannon shot (500–600 m), the Turks opened fire and began to fire at our other ships, which continued to approach without responding to enemy fire.

The Turks had a clear advantage at the beginning of the battle - they met the Russian ships with longitudinal salvos, while the Russian ships could only fire from the running (bow) guns, but they were silent.

Only when it came within pistol range did the Europa turn and open fire on its entire side. The Russian ships following her turned to the north and fired volleys of double cannonballs at the Turkish ships. Then they slowly, close to each other, began to advance along the line of Turkish ships, firing artillery fire.

But soon, at the insistence of the Greek pilot, who announced that the course was leading to the stones, F.A. Klokachev had to turn to starboard tack and leave the line. Admiral G.A. Spiridov, not understanding this maneuver, was so angry that he could not resist shouting: “Mr. Klokachev! I congratulate you as a sailor,” that is, in front of the entire squadron, he accused him of cowardice and threatened to demote him. But within a day F.A. Klokachev proved his courage and bravery.

The place of the “Europe” was taken by the “Eustathius”, on which the shots of three Turkish ships were concentrated, of which the largest and closest was the ship of the commander-in-chief. "Eustathius" turned sideways towards the enemy and from a distance of 50 m (pistol shot) concentrated fire on the Turkish flagship ship "Real Mustafa". Following the Eustathius, the remaining ships of the G.A. squadron sequentially entered into battle. Spiridov, the three ships of D. Elphinstone, who were in the rearguard, fell behind and only managed to approach the end of the battle.

"Three Saints" tried to assist the flagship, but its braces were broken, its sails were seriously damaged and it was carried into the middle of the Turkish fleet. While located between the Turkish ships of the Three Saints, acting from both sides, he fired 684 shots from cannons. In the smoke, in addition to enemy fire, he came under fire from the flagship A.G. Orlov's "Three Hierarchs". At the beginning of the battle, "Ianuarius", following the "Three Saints", continuously hit the enemy with well-aimed shots. The "Ianuarius"'s wake was followed by the "Three Hierarchs" under the Kaiser's flag A.G. Orlova.

Having entered the thick of the battle, he anchored and brought down the fire of his guns on the 100-gun ship of the Turkish Kapudan Pasha, who was at that time on the shore. They fired from guns, rifles, even pistols. Confusion gripped the crew of the Turkish ship, the Turks cut off the anchor rope, but forgot about the spring, and the Turkish ship suddenly turned stern towards the “Three Hierarchs” and stood there for about fifteen minutes under devastating longitudinal shots. In this situation, not a single Turkish weapon could operate against the “Three Hierarchs”.

At 12.30, when the battle was in full swing, the Three Saints, under enemy fire, repaired the damage and re-entered the line as the fourth ship. Behind him, “Rostislav” entered formation, and then “Europe”, which left the line at the beginning of the battle.

"Eustathius", which approached the Turkish flagship 90-gun ship "Real Mustafa" at a gun shot, was getting closer and closer to the enemy. Admiral G.A. Spiridov, in full dress uniform and with a drawn sword, walked around the quarterdeck. The musicians assigned there were ordered to “play to the last.” The fighting ships came together side by side; on the Eustathia, broken rigging and spars, damaged sails and many dead and wounded did not make it possible to move away from the enemy, with whom they exchanged fire with rifles and pistols. At one o'clock in the afternoon, a fire broke out on the Real Mustafa from the fire of the unicorns from the Eustathius, which soon spread throughout the ship. Finally, the ships fell, the Russian sailors ran over to the enemy ship, and a desperate hand-to-hand battle began, during which the Turkish ship continued to burn. Its mainmast, engulfed in fire, fell across the Eustathia. Sparks rained down into the crew chamber, which was open during the battle. There was a deafening explosion - “Eustathius” flew into the air, followed by “Real-Mustafa”. Admiral G.A. Spiridov, having become convinced that it was impossible to save the ship, in accordance with the charter before the explosion, together with Count F.G. Orlov stepped onto the boat. Boats from the nearest Russian ships rushed to the Eustathius, but they only managed to receive G.A. Spiridova, F.G. Orlova and several people. Up to 620 people died on the ship, including 22 officers, and up to 60 were saved. Among the latter was the ship’s commander A.I. Cruise, thrown from the ship by the explosion and kept on the water on a piece of the mast, from which he was removed by an approaching boat.

At this most tense moment, the Turkish ships standing next to the flagship, fleeing the fire and fire of the Russian ships, hastily cut off the anchor ropes, left the battle and hurried to take refuge in Chesme Bay. The Russians pursued them to the entrance to the bay. The battle lasted about two hours. On the Russian side, only the vanguard and corps de battalion took part in it; D. Elphinstone’s rearguard took part only in the pursuit of the enemy.

Although the Turkish fleet lost only one ship, as did the Russians, it was in great disarray after the battle. In their hasty escape, the Turkish ships collided with each other, causing some to lose their bowsprits.

With the exception of Eustathius, our losses were very insignificant. The ship “Three Saints” suffered more than others, which received several holes in the hull, its spars and rigging were broken by cannonballs, and there was a loss of people: 1 officer and 6 sailors were killed, the commander, 3 officers and 20 sailors were wounded. On all other ships the number of killed and wounded did not exceed 12.

3. Battle of Chesma.

The Russian fleet anchored at the entrance to Chesme Bay out of enemy shots, at a distance of no more than one cable length from ship to ship. The Turks, unable to break through our line due to the calm and contrary wind, and waiting for a favorable wind or help from Constantinople, hastened to strengthen the defense of the fleet with coastal fortifications. There was already a battery on the northern cape of the bay, now they were building another one on the southern one.

At 17 o'clock, the bombardment ship "Grom" (Lieutenant-Captain I.M. Perepechin) anchored in front of the entrance to Chesme Bay and began shelling the Turkish fleet standing in disarray with mortars and howitzers.

The rest of the 24th, all night and day of June 25, "Thunder" methodically "threw" bombs and frames onto enemy ships, some of them hit without causing fires. The prolonged shelling demoralized the Turks and prepared the conditions for the main attack.

At a military council on June 25, which met with the commander-in-chief on the ship “Three Hierarchs”, it was decided from the flagships and captains, blocking the Turkish ships’ exit from Chesme Bay, with a combined strike of naval artillery and fire ships to burn it down. If the fireships had been available, the attack could have been launched on the evening of June 24, immediately after the Turks entered the bay. However, there were no ready-made fireships in the Russian squadron. Brigadier of naval artillery I.A. was ordered to make them. To Hannibal. Within 24 hours, four fire ships from old Greek feluccas were equipped. Lieutenant Commander T. Mackenzie, Lieutenant Commander R.K. volunteered to command them. Dugdal, midshipman Prince V.A. Gagarin, Lieutenant D.S. Ilyin. The fire-ship teams were also recruited from volunteers.

To attack the Turkish fleet, a detachment was allocated consisting of four battleships - "Rostislav", "Don't Touch Me", "Europe" and "Saratov", two frigates "Nadezhda" (Lieutenant-Captain P.A. Stepanov) and "Africa" (Lieutenant-Captain M. Kleopin) and the bombardment ship "Grom".

Brigadier S.K. was appointed commander of the detachment. Greig, who raised the braid pennant on Rostislav. The order of the Commander-in-Chief issued on this occasion states: “Our task must be decisive in order to defeat and destroy this fleet without further delay, without which here in the Archipelago we cannot have free hands for distant victories.”

The width of Chesme Bay is about 750 meters, and its length does not exceed 800 meters. The Turkish fleet stood crowded in the depths of the bay, and if you consider that the average length of the ship was about 54 meters, then you can imagine how tightly packed the Turkish ships were along the width of the bay. There were Turkish batteries on the shore of the bay. The Turkish fleet was an ideal target for attack by fireships, and the decision of the Russian command was fully consistent with both the situation and the task.

According to the disposition given by S.K. Greig, the battleships "Europe", "Rostislav" and "Saratov" were to enter the bay and anchor as close as possible to the enemy. “Touch Me Not” should have positioned itself further to the sea in order to provide them with assistance if necessary. The frigate "Nadezhda" was supposed to operate on the northern battery of the Turks, the frigate "Africa" ​​- on the southern one. "Thunder" was supposed to take a position seaward of the ships.

At 23.00 three lanterns were raised on the Rostislav - a signal to attack. The frigate Nadezhda was supposed to go first, but it was delayed. Then G.A. Spiridov from the “Three Hierarchs” ordered F.A. Klokachev to withdraw immediately, without waiting for other courts.

At 23.30 the ship "Europe" was the first to weigh anchor and, according to the order, took a place in close proximity to the Turkish ships. At 0.30 on June 26, he started a battle with the entire Turkish fleet, opening fire with cannonballs and cannonballs, and for about half an hour enemy shots were directed at him alone, until other vessels of the detachment also joined the action.

By one o'clock in the morning "Rostislav" arrived at the place assigned by disposition. Behind him were the manufactured fire ships. Following the “Europe” and “Rostislav”, other ships and frigates came and took their places.

At the beginning of the second hour, an incendiary shell successfully fired from the bombardment ship "Grom" caused a fire on one of the Turkish ships stationed in the center of the bay, the fire from which spread to the nearest leeward ships. A victorious “hurrah” sounded from our fleet.

At this time, at a signal from the Rostislav, fire ships went on the attack. When the fireships began attacking, the Russian ships ceased fire. Of the four fireships, one (Lieutenant-Captain T. Mackenzie), before reaching the enemy line, ran aground, the other (Lieutenant-Captain R.K. Dugdal) was boarded by Turkish galleys, the third (midshipman Prince V.A. Gagarin ) fell with the already burning ship. The commander of the fourth fireship, Lieutenant D.S. Ilyin not only grappled with a large Turkish 84-gun ship, but when he lit his fire-ship, he went back on the boat and looked at what its effect would be. The huge Turkish ship flew into the air with a roar, burning debris fell onto neighboring ships and they also caught fire. Convinced that he had done his job, D.S. Ilyin returned to the Three Hierarchs on the boat.

With the end of the attack of the fireships, the Russian ships supporting their attack again opened fire on the enemy. At the end of the second hour, two Turkish battleships took off. At 2.30 three more Turkish ships ceased to exist. By 3 o'clock the battle had stopped; Our ships, showered with sparks, hurried to pull away from the burning ships and take out the Turkish ships that were not engulfed in fire, saving the remaining living enemies. By this time, over 40 ships were blazing in the bay, representing a sea of ​​fire. From 4 o'clock to 5.30 six more battleships exploded. At 7 o'clock there was a deafening explosion, stronger than anything that had happened so far - four more ships exploded simultaneously.

Explosions on Turkish ships continued for up to 10 hours. At 9 o'clock the Russians landed a landing force that took the battery on the northern cape.

The Turkish fleet was destroyed: the enemy's 15 ships, 6 frigates and up to 50 small ships were burned, up to 11 thousand Turks were killed.

According to eyewitnesses, the water in the bay was a thick mixture of ash, mud, debris and blood.

Russian sailors saved the ship "Rhodes" and 6 galleys from the fire and took them out of the bay. “Rhodes” made up for the loss of “Eustathius”; captain 1st rank A.I., who escaped from “Eustathius”, was appointed its commander. Cruz.

Our losses were negligible: only on one ship “Europe”, which received 14 holes, 9 people were killed and wounded, and on the ship “Rostislav” there were several damages to the mast and hull.

4. Results and significance of the Battle of Chesma.

The Chesme pogrom, having destroyed the Turkish fleet, made the Russians the masters of the Archipelago. Significantly inferior to the enemy in the number of ships and guns, located thousands of miles from its ports, the Russian fleet, thanks to the correct use of the tactical situation, the courage and heroism of the Russian sailors, won a major victory and destroyed the enemy’s strongest fleet.

In memory of this victory, a medal was knocked out, on one side of which there was a portrait of Catherine II, on the other, a burning Turkish fleet was depicted and the inscription “WAS”.

After the destruction of the Turkish fleet at Chesme, the Russian fleet gained strategic dominance in the theater and gained the opportunity to blockade the Dardanelles and destroy the enemy's maritime trade. On June 28, having repaired the damage, the Russian ships left Chesme Bay.

A detachment under the command of D. Elphinstone, consisting of three battleships, two frigates and several transports, went to the Dardanelles and on July 15 established a blockade of the strait.

For our further stay in the Archipelago, our fleet needed to have a convenient port. Count A.G. Orlov, convinced from experience that it was impossible to safely base himself in any coastal point on the mainland, decided to choose one of the islands of the Archipelago for this purpose. When choosing a port, the main thing taken into account was the possibility of a close blockade of the Dardanelles, which was supposed to stop the supply of food from the Archipelago, cause famine in Constantinople and thereby contribute to the organization of a popular uprising. It was decided to occupy the port of Mudros, located on the island of Lemnos, located near the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait. Leaving D. Elphinstone at the blockade of the strait, A.G. Orlov with the squadron G.A. Spiridov on July 19 began the siege of the main fortress of the island of Lemnos - Pelari. A landing party (500 people) was landed on the island, which was joined by up to 1000 people from the local population. But when, after intensive bombardment, its garrison was ready to surrender, on September 25 a Turkish squadron approached the island, landing troops on it (up to 5 thousand people).

This happened as a result of D. Elphinstone’s unauthorized departure from the Dardanelles. The rear admiral left the squadron blocking the Dardanelles and on September 5 set off for Lemnos on the ship Svyatoslav. However, approaching the island, on September 7 she crashed on the eastern Lemnos reef.

To save the flagship, several ships from the Dardanelles had to be called.

Having transferred to the ship “Touch Me Not” and leaving one of his frigates at the crashing ship, D. Elphinstone went to Pelari. By this, he weakened the blockade of the Dardanelles so much that the Turks were able to leave the strait without hindrance. The Russians were forced to stop the siege of the fortress and leave Lemnos.

Due to the impossibility of capturing another port convenient for our fleet near the Dardanelles, the commander-in-chief chose the port of Auza, located on the small island of Paros, which lies in the southern part of the Archipelago, not occupied by the Turks. It was safer here, but the distance of Paros from the Dardanelles made it very difficult to maintain a constant, close blockade of the strait. Fortifications, an admiralty, shops and a camp for ground forces were built in Auza. Auza remained the main base of the Russian fleet in the Archipelago until mid-1775.

D. Elphinstone was removed from command, sent to Russia and then completely dismissed from service.

Due to the remoteness of Auza from the Dardanelles, implementing a nearby blockade of the strait became difficult. It was carried out depending on the situation. The main forces of the fleet were stationed south of the island of Imroz, and small detachments, consisting mainly of frigates, were sent to the Dardanelles.

The long-range blockade of the Dardanelles was carried out constantly by small detachments of ships cruising along the enemy's communication routes. The detachments captured a large number of merchant ships.

On December 25, 1770, the third squadron of Rear Admiral Arfa arrived in Auza - (battleships "St. George the Victorious", "Vsevolod", "Asia" and 13 transports with troops numbering 2,690 people.

One of the consequences of the successful operation of our fleet was the acceptance of Russian citizenship at the beginning of 1771 by the inhabitants of 25 small islands lying in the middle of the Archipelago from Tasso to Candia.

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SUBJECT: Creation of the Black Sea Fleet. Founding of Sevastopol.

Issues covered:

1. Founding of Sevastopol

1. Founding of Sevastopol

Many centuries ago, people appreciated these convenient places to live: the remains of the most ancient settlements discovered by archaeologists date back to the first millennium BC. Tribes of Taurians, Scythians, and Sarmatians lived here. In the 5th century BC. Ancient Greeks, immigrants from Heraclea Pontica, settled on the shores of the bay, which is now called Quarantine. They founded Tauride Chersonesus - a city-state that existed for two millennia (from the 5th century BC to the 15th century AD) and played an important role in the historical destinies of the Northern Black Sea region.

In the IX-X centuries. The Slavs fought with the then powerful Byzantium for the Northern Black Sea region, for the Crimea. In the second half of the 11th century. Crimea was cut off from the rest of the territory by numerous nomadic hordes of Polovtsians in the 13th century. Batu's hordes invaded Crimea. After the collapse of the Golden Horde in 1443, the Crimean Khanate arose, from 1475 it was a vassal of Turkey, which used it as a weapon to attack Russian, Ukrainian and Polish lands.

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768 - 1774. Russian troops captured Crimea. According to the agreement with the Khan (1772) and the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace (July 10, 1774), the Crimean Khanate was declared independent from Turkey and came under the protection of Russia. A.V. Suvorov was sent to command the Russian troops in Crimea. He highly appreciated the excellent qualities of the bays of Sevastopol and, five years before the founding of the city, he erected the first fortifications here and did everything to oust the Turkish flotilla - about 170 ships - from the Akhtiar harbor.

Like Kronstadt on the Baltic, Sevastopol was founded as a fortress and naval base on the Black Sea.
The founding of Sevastopol secured the return of Russia to its ancestral lands on the coast of the Black and Azov Seas. This was preceded by the centuries-old struggle of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples for Crimea and the Black Sea.
The military campaigns of Ivan the Terrible in the mid-16th century, the campaigns of Golitsyn in the 17th century, the Azov campaigns of Peter I, who created the Don Flotilla and the Azov Fleet, the ongoing struggle of the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks against the Tatars and Turks were important stages in the struggle for the Crimea and for access to the Black Sea . It unfolded with even greater severity in the 18th century.
The Crimean peninsula, which extends into the sea and divides it into two parts, is located at its tip at a fairly close distance from the straits connecting the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. Many large rivers flow into the Black Sea, which is favorable for navigation and trade. It is no coincidence that Crimea and the Black Sea always occupied an important place in the aggressive plans of foreign conquerors. Russia took measures to consolidate its gained position in this area - it built cities and created a fleet.
The activities of the great Russian commander A.V. Suvorov in Crimea were of great importance. He was one of the first to appreciate the remarkable advantages and military-strategic significance of the Sevastopol Bay. The founding and development of Sevastopol as a fortress city is associated with the name of A.V. Suvorov.
In the autumn of 1782, the first Russian ships - the frigates "Brave" and "Caution" - came to Akhtiarskaya harbor for the winter. Even before the inclusion of Crimea into Russia, the Russian government appointed Vice Admiral F.A., a participant in the Battle of Chesme, “to command the newly built fleet in the Black and Azov Seas.” Klokacheva. He was ordered to transfer part of the ships of the Azov and Dnieper flotillas to Akhtiarskaya harbor. The ships arrived in Akhtiar on May 2 (13), 1783. In the first Sevastopol squadron there were only 17 of them. Thus, a new fleet was born in Russia, which was called the Black Sea.

Construction of the port and military settlement began. The construction manager was flag officer Lieutenant D.N. Senyavin. On June 3, the first four stone buildings were laid: a house for the admiral, a pier, a forge and a chapel. Already on July 2, the commander of the Sevastopol squadron F.F. Mekenzi reported to St. Petersburg about the creation of a small admiralty in Akhtiarskaya harbor. It consisted of a forge, a mast shed, timber and rope warehouses, and a platform for keeling ships on the shore of one of the bays.
By the spring of 1784, the first streets appeared, the embankment was lined with stone, houses and palaces grew, sidewalks lined with fruit trees were laid.

By decree of Catherine II of February 10, 1784, the city received the name Sevastopol. The same Decree ordered Prince G.A. Potemkin to build a large fortress with an admiralty for ships of the first rank, as well as a port and a military settlement in Akhtiarskaya harbor. At this time, there were already 26 ships in the bay with 4 thousand sailors and officers.
On February 21, 1784, the Russian government announced free and unimpeded trade for foreign and local merchants in Sevastopol, delivering goods both by sea and by land. In the spring of the same year, the first trading ships of Kerch and Taganrog merchants appeared in the city. In honor of the founding of Sevastopol, a commemorative medal was minted in St. Petersburg.
The assertion of Russia in the Northern Black Sea region, the annexation of Crimea to Russia and the construction of the Sevastopol naval base and fortress caused a sharp protest from Turkey. She was supported by England and France. A diplomatic struggle began around the “Crimean issue,” which lasted several years. England became the head of the anti-Russian campaign. In a difficult international situation, Catherine II undertook a “trip to Taurida.” It became a political demonstration against anti-Russian propaganda in Western European countries and was intended to show Russia’s preparedness for a war in the Black Sea. Catherine II's retinue was especially amazed by everything they saw in Sevastopol on May 22-23, 1787. A young but strong fleet of 27 warships and 8 transports lined up in the bay, greeting the guests with cannon fire. A ceremonial review of the squadron was arranged and an “attack” by the fleet of the coast - the Northern side - was demonstrated. The French envoy Segur, who accompanied Catherine II on a trip to the Crimea, wrote: “I am afraid that in 30 hours the flags of her (Catherine II) ships may fly in sight of Constantinople, and the banners of her army will be hoisted on its walls.”
In 1792, there were 15 thousand inhabitants in Sevastopol. There were 58 ships in the port with 1,322 guns and over 9 thousand personnel. There were 18 more ships under construction. Trade grew, and in just four months (February-May) 20 foreign ships arrived in Sevastopol and Balaklava.
In 1797, Paul I renamed Sevastopol to Akhtiar. However, after his death the city was returned to its previous name.

A major role in the construction of Sevastopol was played by the “sea Suvorov” - the outstanding naval commander Admiral F. F. Ushakov. The fleet was significantly increased, a system of new fortifications was created, many buildings, a large hospital, workshops and warehouses were built, a public garden was opened, to which the name Ushakova Balka was assigned.
Having won many brilliant victories, Ushakov made a great contribution to the development of naval art and was the founder of the Black Sea school of naval training, which gave Russia many outstanding naval commanders.

In 1804, the Russian government officially declared Sevastopol the main military port of the Black Sea Fleet (instead of Kherson), and in 1809 - a military fortress. The chief commander of the fleet and ports of the Black Sea since 1805 was also the governor of Sevastopol.
The military situation, the growth of the fleet, commercial shipping and trade constantly required further development of the Sevastopol port. To secure the entrance to the port at night, in 1818. a stone lighthouse about 40 m high was built on Cape Khersones. In 1820, two gate lighthouses were erected in Inkerman - the highest in the country - one of them shines from a height of 122 m.
Industry developed further. The main enterprise of the city was the Admiralty, where warships were repaired, keeled and equipped, and in 1808 the construction of small combat and auxiliary ships began. In 1810, the first corvette, the Crimea, was built, equipped with 18 guns.
In 1812-1813 A new state-owned saltpeter plant was built in Inkerman, where the production of gunpowder began. But due to the lack of local raw materials, the plant did not last long. State-owned brick and lime factories, stone quarries, and bakeries with dryers for making crackers were opened. “Enterprising people” opened small semi-handicraft factories. In 1815 there were 3 tanneries, 3 candle factories, 1 vodka factory, 1 brewery. There were fishing, yawl (transportation across bays), tailoring, shoemaking and other industries. There were 202 trading establishments in the city, and in addition to the city bazaar, a bazaar appeared on the North Side. Two fairs were held annually.
At the beginning of the second quarter of the 19th century. Sevastopol was the largest city in Crimea. It had about 30 thousand inhabitants.

In 1832, Admiral M.P. Lazarev was appointed chief of staff of the fleet, and in 1834 chief commander of the fleet and ports of the Black Sea. He made a great contribution to the development of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as to the construction and improvement of Sevastopol. Under his leadership, five stone forts were erected - batteries that protected the city from the sea. The great merit of M.P. Lazarev was the almost complete renewal of the naval composition of the fleet. It was replenished with 160 new combat, auxiliary and transport ships, incl. 32 ships. On October 4, 1840, a new admiralty was founded on the territory between the Yuzhnaya and Korabelnaya bays (now the Sergo Ordzhonikidze Marine Plant). It took over ten years to build. The Sevastopol docks, built with the latest technology, were considered at that time the height of engineering skill.

Trade developed further. In 1838, 170 ships arrived in Sevastopol with various goods (35 left with cargo). In 1831 there were 20 merchants in the city, in 1848 - 83. Most of them supplied flour, meat, cereals, salt, and firewood for the fleet. During this period, there were 280 different shops in the city, of which 46 were “drinking establishments.” The construction of sea fortifications, the Admiralty, embankments and new piers, numerous buildings in the city center caused a large influx of workers, up to 30 thousand people. For 1815-1853 the city's population increased from 30 to 47.4 thousand people, incl. civil from 11.2 to 20 thousand. The number of houses during the same period increased from 1105 to 2810. The city had 43 streets and 4 squares.
The first medical institution in Sevastopol was the Marine Hospital, initially temporary, of barracks type. In 1790-1791 A two-story building with 200 seats was built for it. Served only the military, families of officers and city nobility. The rest of the population was treated for a long time by one city doctor, who was also in charge of the sanitary condition of bazaars, bakeries, and trading establishments.
In 1826, a school for cabin boys with 100 places was opened, and two years later a civil district school with 40 places was opened. Over the next 8 years, schools for sailor daughters, a parish school, and a private boarding school for noble maidens appeared. In 1846 there were only 13 teachers and 404 students, incl. 74 girls.
At the same time, Sevastopol becomes the second center of marine sciences in Russia after St. Petersburg. In 1842, the first sailing guide for the Black and Azov Seas was published. An important contribution to historical science was the excavations of ancient Chersonesos. In 1822, one of the first Maritime Library in the country was opened in Sevastopol, and in 1843, a stone theater building was built on the square at the foot of Boulevard Heights. There was no permanent troupe; visiting actors performed, including from Italy and Spain.
This was Sevastopol on the eve of the Crimean War, during which it gained worldwide fame.

2. Creation of the Black Sea Fleet.

Black Sea FleetRussian Empire originates fromRussian military fleet, created on Black Sea after joiningCrimea from ships Azov And Dnieper flotilla .

On February 13, 1783, a detachment of 11 ships of the Azov flotilla under the flag of Vice Admiral F.A. Klokachev arrived in Akhtiarskaya Bay for permanent deployment. The next day, construction began on the city and military port of Akhtiar (since February 21, 1784 - Sevastopol).

Creation of a fleet

May 2 (13) 1783 Azov flotilla (11 ships) entered Akhtiar Bay (Crimean Peninsula), where Sevastopol was founded, which became the main base of the fleet (with1804 - the main military port). Later, 17 ships of the Dnieper flotilla arrived here. These ships formed the core of the new fleet.

1. Focal geek. 2. Foka-gaff. 3. Grotto-geek. 4. Gaff mainsail. 5. Mizzen boom. 6. Mizzen gaff.

• On single-masted vessels (for example, sloop, tender), the boom and gaff usually do not have the prefix "mainsail-" or any other prefix, but are simply called "boom" and "gaff".

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