A fight with unusual results. Crimean War: Battle of Sinop Battle of Sinop Ushaks

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

Sinop naval battle

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

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

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

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

Reasons for the battle

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

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

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

Progress of the battle

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

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

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

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

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

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

At 12.30 p.m., on the first shot from the 44-gun frigate "Aunni-Allah", fire was opened from all Turkish ships and batteries. The battleship "Empress Maria" was bombarded with shells, most of its spars and standing rigging were broken, only one shroud of the mainmast remained intact. However, the ship moved forward non-stop and, operating with battle fire at enemy ships, dropped anchor against the frigate "Aunni-Allah"; the latter, unable to withstand half an hour of shelling, jumped ashore. Then the Russian flagship turned its fire exclusively on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also washed ashore. After this, the Empress Maria's actions focused on Battery No. 5.

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

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

The battleship Paris, while at anchor, opened battle fire on battery No. 5, the corvette Guli-Sefid (22 guns) and the frigate Damiad (56 guns); then, having blown up the corvette and thrown the frigate ashore, he began to hit the frigate Nizamiye (64 guns), whose foremast and mizzen masts were shot down, and the ship itself drifted to the shore, where it soon caught fire. Then the Paris again began to fire at battery No. 5.

The battleship "Three Saints" entered into battle with the frigates "Kaidi-Zefer" (54 guns) and "Nizamiye"; the first enemy shots broke his spring, and the ship, turning to the wind, was subjected to well-aimed longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, and its mast was badly damaged. Turning the stern again, he very successfully began to act on the Kaidi-Zefer and other ships and forced them to rush to the shore.

The battleship "Rostislav", covering the "Three Saints", concentrated fire on battery No. 6 and on the corvette "Feize-Meabud" (24 guns), and threw the corvette ashore.

At 13.30, the Russian steam frigate "Odessa" appeared from behind the cape under the flag of Adjutant General Vice Admiral V. A. Kornilov, accompanied by the steam frigates "Crimea" and "Khersones". These ships immediately took part in the battle, which, however, was already nearing its end; The Turkish forces were greatly weakened. Batteries No. 5 and No. 6 continued to harass the Russian ships until 4 o'clock, but the Paris and Rostislav soon destroyed them. Meanwhile, the rest of the Turkish ships, apparently set on fire by their crews, took off one after another; This caused a fire to spread throughout the city, and there was no one to put it out.

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

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

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

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

Sinop naval battle, a heroic episode in Russian history. The feat of Russian sailors was glorified by the establishment of the Order of Nakhimov in 1944. In 1952, on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Sinop, Kalashnikovskaya Embankment in Leningrad was renamed Sinopskaya Embankment. The event was marked by the Day of Military Glory on December 1 (Federal Law No. 32-F3 of March 13, 1995)

The USSR, as well as Russia, clearly considered this a heroic episode in Russian history, but this radically contradicted what the classics of Marxism-Engelsism said about the Battle of Sinop. The position of those involved in ideological work was especially ambiguous. For example, military political workers who conducted patriotic propaganda and propaganda of the “only true doctrine”, knowing what the founding fathers of the “only true doctrine” said about the exploits of Nakhimov.

This is what historian S.F. Naida writes about the course of the battle. Quote Naida S.F., Outstanding Russian naval commander Admiral P.S. Nakhimov, M. "Knowledge", ser. 1, No. 71, 1952 (electronic text can be found.)

At 9:30 a.m. the signal went up on the flagship: “Get ready for battle and go to the Sinop roadstead.” The squadron quickly weighed anchor and, with national flags raised, rushed towards the enemy. While on the move, at a signal from Nakhimov, the squadron formed into two columns. The formation of two columns established by Nakhimov was very tactically reasonable. It halved the squadron's exposure to enemy fire when ships entered the Sinop roadstead and accelerated the deployment of the squadron to battle according to the intended disposition. This ensured a quick attack on the enemy and fewer losses from enemy fire. This maneuver was a brilliant success.

The first column consisted of 3 ships - the 84-gun ships “Empress Maria” (flagship), “Chesma” and the 120-gun ship “Konstantin”; in the second there are also 3 ships: the 120-gun ship "Paris" (commander of which was captain 1st rank Istomin, the future hero of the defense of Sevastopol), the 120-gun ship "Three Saints" and the 84-gun ship "Rostislav". The frigates "Kahul", which had 44 guns, and "Kulevchi", which had 52 guns, remained, on Nakhimov's instructions, to guard the exit from Sinop Bay in order to prevent the possible escape of Turkish steamers during the battle.

Around noon the squadron approached the entrance to the bay. Everyone was waiting for a signal from the flagship. A little time passed and one bell rang. At this time, the first cannon shot was heard from the Turkish ship, and after it the famous Battle of Sinop began.

Nakhimov's flagship ship "Empress Maria", firing from enemy ships, steadily moved forward and dropped anchor only when it reached its target - the Turkish flagship "Aunn Allah". He set the enemy ship on fire and forced it to run ashore, and then also destroyed the Turkish frigate Fazli Allah. Despite the fact that the flagship Empress Maria received 60 holes and other damage in the battle, she turned to assist the second column of ships. Nakhimov calmly led the battle. The calmness and restraint of the squadron commander gave everyone confidence in victory.

The ship "Konstantin" on the approach to the place indicated by the disposition was showered with a hail of cannonballs, 4 knippels and grapeshot. However, he pressed forward stubbornly and anchored for battle soon after the flagship. With battle fire on the starboard side at a Turkish battery and two frigates, he first blew up one frigate and with the fire of his cannons temporarily silenced the coastal battery, then opened destructive fire on another Turkish frigate and a corvette. Soon the frigate and corvette were hit and thrown ashore. The ship "Chesma" after the victory over the Turkish frigate accurately destroyed the coastal batteries.

The ship "Paris", on which was the second flagship - Rear Admiral Novosilsky, anchored as if by disposition and, with well-aimed fire from its cannons, sank three Turkish ships, and then fired destructive fire at the coastal battery.

The actions of the ship "Paris" received special approval from Nakhimov. The ship "Three Saints", despite severe damage, forced the enemy frigate to throw ashore with the fire of its cannons and continued to fire until the end of the battle. The ship "Rostislav" sank the corvette with the fire of its cannons and destroyed the battery.

Russian sailors fought the enemy selflessly, with extraordinary tenacity, put out fires, and immediately took the place of the dead and wounded. On the Constantine, at the height of the battle, an exploding bomb smashed the deck and started a fire. The rapidly spreading fire threatened to explode the kruyt chamber (the place where gunpowder is stored). Midshipman Kolokoltsev, disregarding the danger, tightly closing the doors and hatches of the crew chamber, calmly put out the fire and thereby saved the ship from the explosion.

By 5 pm on November 18, 1853, the battle ended with the complete destruction of the Turkish squadron and the entire enemy coastal defense. Only one enemy steamship, the Taif, under the command of an English officer, taking advantage of its superior speed against the frigates Cahul and Kulevchi, abandoned the Turks and fled to Constantinople.

In the Battle of Sinop, 13 enemy combat ships and 4 merchant ships were destroyed, up to 3 thousand Turks were killed and many were taken prisoner. Among those captured was the head of the Turkish squadron, Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, along with the commanders of some ships.

The Russian squadron did not lose a single ship. The death toll was: 38 people killed, 235 people wounded and shell-shocked.

In full accordance with this description, the feat of the Russian fleet is approved as, which is awarded, in particular, for “successes in the development, conduct and support of operations, combat operations of groupings of forces (troops) of the Navy independently and as part of groupings of troops (forces) , as a result of which the enemy’s offensive actions were successfully repelled and significant losses were inflicted on him.”

Naturally, such a devastating victory could not but “delight” those who supported Turkey in the war against Russia.

Debates began in the English Parliament in connection with the Russian victory at Sinop. The English and French press launched a frantic campaign against Russia, trying to justify the opening of military action against the Russians.

TO frantic campaign in the English and French press The classics of Marxism-Engelsism joined. The tenth volume of the second edition of the Works (see text) represents the broadcast of this campaign to the American press. This is how Marx responds to the Battle of Sinop

Finally, the mystery that shrouded the Sinope battle has dissipated. Judging by published reports on the balance of forces between Russia and Turkey at Sinop, the Russians, compared to the Turkish forces, had 3 more double-decker steam ships, one triple-decker and 680 guns. The Sinop events, thus, added nothing to the power of Russia and did not subtract anything from the power of Turkey; rather, the opposite was true. Here we see a fact that has no precedent even in the history of the English fleet: the frigates line up with the battleships and the commanders throw torches into the powder magazines, sacrificing themselves on the altar of the fatherland. Turkey's main naval forces remained intact; she did not lose a single battleship or steamer. Little of. According to the latest news, one of the best three-deck ships of the Russian fleet, Rostislav, with 120 guns, was sunk by the Turks. This loss, hitherto hushed up under the plausible pretext that the Rostislav sank not during the battle, but immediately after it, and now openly recognized by the Russians, significantly counterbalances the losses of the Turkish fleet. If a three-decker ship really sank, then we can assume that other Russian ships received quite a lot during the battle. serious damage and that in the end the victory at Sinop weakened the Russian fleet more than the Turkish one. As soon as the Egyptian Pasha learned about the Sinope disaster, he immediately gave the order to arm 6 frigates, 5 corvettes and 3 brigs in order to compensate for the losses of the material part of the Turkish fleet.
The Egyptian steam frigate Pervaz Bahri, disabled and captured after a five-hour battle by the much larger Russian steam frigate Vladimir, was so riddled with shells that it was with difficulty delivered to Sevastopol, where it immediately sank. It was possible to introduce the Pervaz Bahri into the Sevastopol Bay only thanks to the help of the chief mechanic, the Englishman Bell, to whom Admiral Kornilov promised to immediately grant freedom if he successfully completed this task. Upon arrival in Sevastopol, Bell was not only not released, but, together with his assistants - mechanics and stokers - were placed under strict arrest and put on a meager ration of 3 pence a day, and they were told that they would have to walk 80 miles in inland at this harsh time of year. Prince Menshikov, who commands in Sevastopol, received the approval of the tsar and his ministers, who remained deaf to the representations of the English consul in Odessa and the English ambassador in St. Petersburg.

Surely someone is lying here. Either the Stalinist historian Naida or Marx. According to the description of the battle given by Naida, it can be determined that there were eight Russian ships that took part in the battle, and seventeen Turkish ships were destroyed. Therefore, according to Naida, the advantage was on the side of the Turks. Marx talks about superiority The Russians, compared to the Turkish forces, had 3 more double-decker steam ships, one triple-decker and 680 guns. And the Battle of Sinope, according to Marx, is not a feat of Russian sailors, but treacherous and cowardly massacre, which destroyed the weakest enemy. This is what Marx writes in the article "Western Powers and Türkiye"

To the huge number of diplomatic documents already made public were added a note from the four powers, dated December 12, handed to the Porte jointly by their respective ambassadors in Constantinople, as well as a new circular from M. Drouin de Luis, signed in Paris on December 30, to the French diplomatic agents. By carefully reading the note of the four powers, one can understand why such unrest broke out in Constantinople when it became known that the note had been accepted by the Porte, why an insurrectionary movement arose on December 21, and why the Turkish Ministry had to solemnly declare that the resumption of peace negotiations would not entail any cessation hostilities or their suspension. In fact, exactly nine days after the announcement of treacherous and cowardly Sinope massacre reached Constantinople and was greeted throughout the Ottoman Empire with a single cry for vengeance, the four powers coldly call upon - and the ambassadors of Great Britain and France even force - the Porte to enter into negotiations with the king on the following basis: all previous treaties will be renewed; the firmans relating to religious privileges granted by the Sultan to his Christian subjects would be supplemented by new guarantees granted to each of the powers, and consequently to the king; The Porte will appoint a commissioner to conclude a truce; she would allow Russia to build a church and a hospital in Jerusalem and would commit herself to the powers (and therefore to the Tsar) to improve her internal administrative system. Not only will the Porte receive no compensation for the severe damage caused to it by the piratical actions of the Muscovites, but, on the contrary, the chains that Russia has forced Turkey to wear for a quarter of a century will be forged anew, and the prisoner will be chained even more tightly than before. The Porte must submit to the mercy of the autocrat, humbly guaranteeing him firmans of the religious privileges of its Christian subjects, and solemnly vouching for its internal administrative system. Thus, she must submit simultaneously to the king's protectorate in religious matters and to his dictates in matters of civil government. As compensation for such a capitulation, the Porte is promised “to evacuate the Danube principalities as soon as possible,” the seizure of which Lord Clanricarde called “an act of piracy,” and they also assure her that the preamble of the treaty of July 13, 1841, which turned out to be such a “reliable guarantee” against Russia, will be formally confirmed.
Although in their unheard-of meanness the despicable “powers” ​​reached the highest limit, forcing the Porte, a few days after Sinop, to negotiate on such a basis, yet they will not get rid of their difficulties in such a vile way. The Tsar has already gone too far; he will not tolerate the slightest encroachment on the part of any European power on his defended right of protectorate over the Christian subjects of Turkey.

This passage refers to a note from the four European powers England, France, Austria and Prussia, which offered Turkey mediation for a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Russia. The demand for Russia was the withdrawal of troops from the Danube principalities, and Turkey had to satisfy Russia’s demands for special rights for Orthodox Christians. This solution to the problem did not suit the war party at all, which sought to drag the European powers into a war against Russia. This passage shows the attitude of the war party towards the proposed treaty and the attitude of Marx towards the war party.

The Battle of Sinop, called a treacherous and cowardly massacre, is presented as an unexpected aggressive action by Russia, which destroyed a peaceful Turkish squadron and several merchant ships in the Sinop bay. Russian military history thinks differently. The Turkish squadron, torn apart by a storm in Sinop Bay, was preparing for an attack on the Caucasus coast, and the attack on the Turkish fleet was justified by this threat. Moreover, it was undertaken after the declaration of war. Therefore, she was neither treacherous nor cowardly. Here is what Naida S.F. writes about this. in the book about Nakhimov.

On September 14, 1853, Türkiye announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia. England and France took the side of Turkey. True to their policy of raking in the heat with someone else's hands, they in every possible way provoked Turkey into a war with Russia. The Anglo-French fleet entered the Dardanelles into the Sea of ​​Marmara and then arrived at Constantinople. This was an open challenge to Russia.

The Turkish military operations began on October 11 with an attack on the ships of the Danube flotilla in the Galati area, and on the night of October 15-16 - on the post of St. Nicholas on the Caucasian coastline. On the Russian side, a manifesto declaring war on Turkey was signed on October 20, 1853.

Therefore, by October 18, 1853, Russia was already at war with Turkey, so the attack on the Turkish squadron cannot be called a treacherous attack.

Nakhimov received the manifesto on Russia’s declaration of war on Turkey at sea on November 1. The manifesto was delivered to him from Sevastopol by the steamship Bessarabia.

On November 3, Nakhimov transferred to the ships of his squadron a manifesto declaring war and with it his order, in which he stated the following: “The Turkish fleet went to sea with the intention of occupying the port of Sukhum-Kale that belongs to us (general was sent from Sevastopol with 6 ships to search for the fleet -Adjutant Kornilov). The enemy's intention cannot be fulfilled otherwise than by passing us by or by giving us battle. In the first case, I hope for the vigilant supervision of Messrs. commanders and officers, in the second, with God’s help and confidence in my commanders and officers and teams, I hope to accept the battle with honor and prevent the enemy from fulfilling his daring intention.”

The goal of the Turkish squadron was to attack the Caucasian coast and capture the Sukhum-Kale fortress, but the squadron was forced to take refuge in Sinop Bay to wait out the strong autumn storms. The attack by superior enemy forces in Sinop Bay was called cowardly. Marx considered the Russian sailors who attacked the strongest enemy and defended the Caucasian coast from the attack of the Turkish squadron to be cowards and scoundrels.

“By the extermination of the Turkish squadron, you adorned the chronicle of the Russian fleet with a new victory, which will forever remain memorable in the sea.”
Emperor Nicholas I

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

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

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

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

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

Background

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

In the Caucasus, Russia did not have enough troops to simultaneously hold back the advance of the Turkish army and fight the mountaineers. In addition, the Turkish squadron supplied the troops on the Caucasian coast with ammunition. Therefore, the Black Sea Fleet received two main tasks: 1) quickly transport reinforcements from Crimea to the Caucasus; 2) strike at the enemy’s sea communications. Don't let the Ottomans land large landing to the eastern coast of the Black Sea in the area of ​​Sukhum-Kale (Sukhumi) and Poti to help the highlanders. Pavel Stepanovich completed both tasks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Strengths of the parties

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

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

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

Nakhimov's plan

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

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

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

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

Battle

At dawn on November 18 (30), Russian ships entered Sinop Bay. At the head of the right column was Pavel Nakhimov's flagship "Empress Maria", at the head of the left - "Paris" of Fyodor Novosilsky. The weather was unfavorable. At 12:30 p.m., the Ottoman flagship, the 44-gun Avni-Allah, opened fire, followed by guns from other ships and coastal batteries. The Turkish command hoped that strong barrage fire from naval and coastal batteries would not allow the Russian squadron to break through to close range and would force the Russians to retreat. Possibly will cause severe damage to some ships that can be captured. Nakhimov's ship went ahead and stood closest to the Ottoman ships. The admiral stood on the captain's cabin and watched the fierce artillery battle unfold.

The victory of the Russian fleet became apparent after just over two hours. Turkish artillery showered shells on the Russian squadron and was able to cause significant damage to some ships, but failed to sink a single one. The Russian admiral, knowing the techniques of the Ottoman commanders, foresaw that the main enemy fire would initially be concentrated on the mast (above-deck parts of the ship's equipment), and not on the decks. The Turks wanted to incapacitate as many Russian sailors as possible when they removed the sails before anchoring the ships, as well as disrupt the controllability of the ships and worsen their ability to maneuver. And so it happened, Turkish shells broke the yards, topmasts, and made holes in the sails. The Russian flagship took on a significant part of the enemy attack, most of its spar and standing rigging were broken, only one shroud of the mainmast remained intact. After the battle, 60 holes were counted in one side. However, the Russian sailors were below, Pavel Stepanovich ordered the ships to be anchored without removing the sails. All Nakhimov’s orders were carried out exactly. The frigate "Avni-Allah" ("Aunni-Allah") could not withstand the confrontation with the Russian flagship and washed ashore after half an hour. The Turkish squadron lost its control center. Then the Empress Maria bombarded the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah with shells, which also could not withstand the duel and ran ashore. The admiral transferred the fire of the battleship to battery No. 5.

The ship "Grand Duke Konstantin" fired at the 60-gun frigates "Navek-Bakhri" and "Nesimi-Zefer", the 24-gun corvette "Nedjmi Fishan", and at battery No. 4. “Navek-Bakhri” took off within 20 minutes. One of the Russian shells hit the powder magazine. This explosion also disabled battery No. 4. Corpses and shipwrecks littered the battery. Later the battery resumed fire, but it was weaker than before. The second frigate, after its anchor chain was broken, washed ashore. The Turkish corvette could not stand the duel and ran ashore. “Grand Duke Constantine” received 30 holes and damage to all masts in the Battle of Sinop.

The battleship "Chesma", under the command of Viktor Mikryukov, fired at batteries No. 4 and No. 3. Russian sailors strictly followed Nakhimov’s instructions on mutual support. The ship "Konstantin" was forced to fight three enemy ships and a Turkish battery at once. Therefore, the Chesma stopped firing at the batteries and concentrated all its fire on the Turkish frigate Navek-Bahri. The Turkish ship, hit by fire from two Russian ships, took off into the air. Then "Chesma" suppressed the enemy batteries. The ship received 20 holes, damage to the mainmast and bowsprit.

In a similar situation, when the principle of mutual support was fulfilled, half an hour later the ship “Three Saints” found itself. The battleship under the command of K. S. Kutrov fought with the 54-gun frigate "Kaidi-Zefer" and the 62-gun "Nizamiye". Enemy shots broke the spring of the Russian ship (the cable to the anchor holding the ship in a given position), and the “Three Saints” began to turn into the wind with its stern towards the enemy. The ship was subjected to longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, and its mast was seriously damaged. Immediately, “Rostislav”, under the command of Captain 1st Rank A.D. Kuznetsov, who himself was under heavy fire, stopped returning fire and focused all his attention on battery No. 6. As a result, the Turkish battery was razed to the ground. The Rostislav also forced the 24-gun corvette Feyze-Meabud to beach itself. When midshipman Varnitsky was able to repair the damage on the Svyatitel, the ship began to successfully fire at the Kaidi-Zefer and other ships, forcing them to run ashore. "Three Saints" received 48 holes, as well as damage to the stern, all masts and bowsprit. The help did not come cheap for the Rostislav either; the ship almost blew up, a fire started on it, the fire approached the cruise chamber, but the fire was extinguished. "Rostislav" received 25 holes, as well as damage to all masts and bowsprit. More than 100 people from his team were wounded.

The second Russian flagship "Paris" fought an artillery duel with the 56-gun frigate "Damiad", the 22-gun corvette "Gyuli Sefid" and the central coastal battery No. 5. The corvette caught fire and took off. The battleship concentrated its fire on the frigate. The Damiad could not withstand the heavy fire, the Turkish crew cut off the anchor rope, and the frigate was thrown ashore. Then the Paris attacked the 62-gun Nizamiye, on which Admiral Hussein Pasha was holding the flag. The Ottoman ship lost two masts - the fore and mizzen masts, and a fire started on it. The Nizamiye washed ashore. The commander of the ship, Vladimir Istomin, showed “fearlessness and fortitude” in this battle and made “prudent, skillful and quick orders.” After the defeat of Nizamiye, Paris concentrated on the central coastal battery, which provided great opposition to the Russian squadron. The Turkish battery was suppressed. The battleship received 16 holes, as well as damage to the stern and gondeck.

Thus, by 17:00, Russian sailors destroyed 15 out of 16 enemy ships with artillery fire and suppressed all of their coastal batteries. Random cannonballs also set fire to city buildings located in close proximity to the coastal batteries, which led to the spread of fire and caused panic among the population.

Of the entire Turkish squadron, only one high-speed 20-gun steamer Taif managed to escape, on board of which was the chief adviser to the Turks on maritime issues, the Englishman Slade, who, having arrived in Istanbul, reported on the destruction of Turkish ships in Sinop.

It is worth noting that the presence of two steam frigates in the Turkish squadron seriously puzzled the Russian admiral. Admiral Nakhimov did not have steamers at the beginning of the battle; they arrived only at the very end of the battle. A fast enemy ship, under the command of a British captain, could perform well in a battle when Russian ships were engaged in battle and their sails were damaged. Sailing ships could not maneuver easily and quickly in these conditions. Nakhimov took this threat into account so much that he dedicated an entire paragraph of his disposition to it (No. 9). Two frigates were left in reserve and were given the task of neutralizing the actions of enemy steam frigates.

However, this reasonable precaution was not justified. The Russian admiral assessed possible actions the enemy on his own. He was ready to fight even in conditions of complete enemy superiority; enemy commanders thought differently. Taif's captain Slade was an experienced commander, but he was not going to fight to the last drop of blood. Seeing that the Turkish squadron was in danger of destruction, the British captain skillfully maneuvered between the Rostislav and battery No. 6, and fled towards Constantinople. The frigates "Kulevchi" and "Kahul" tried to intercept the enemy, but they were unable to keep up with the fast steamer. Breaking away from the Russian frigates, the Taif almost fell into the hands of Kornilov. A detachment of Kornilov's steam frigates hurried to the aid of Nakhimov's squadron and collided with the Taif. However, Slade was able to escape from Kornilov's steamships.

Towards the end of the battle, a detachment of ships approached Sinop under the command of Vice Admiral V.A. Kornilov, who was rushing to the aid of Nakhimov from Sevastopol. A participant in these events, B.I. Baryatinsky, who was in Kornilov’s squadron, wrote: “Approaching the ship “Maria” (Nakhimov’s flagship), we board the boat of our steamer and go to the ship, which is all pierced by cannonballs, almost all the shrouds are broken, and when Quite a strong swell caused the masts to sway so much that they threatened to fall. We board the ship, and both admirals rush into each other’s arms, we all also congratulate Nakhimov. He was magnificent, his cap on the back of his head, his face stained with blood, new epaulettes, his nose - everything was red with blood, sailors and officers... all black with gunpowder smoke... It turned out that on the "Maria" there were the most killed and wounded, as Nakhimov was walking the lead in the squadron and from the very beginning of the battle became closest to the Turkish firing sides. Nakhimov’s coat, which he took off before the battle and immediately hung on a nail, was torn by a Turkish cannonball.”

Results

The Ottoman squadron was almost completely destroyed. During the three-hour battle, the Turks were defeated, their resistance was broken. A little later, they suppressed the remaining coastal fortifications and batteries and finished off the remnants of the squadron. One after another, Turkish ships took off. Russian bombs fell into powder magazines, or fire reached them; often the Turks themselves set fire to the ships, leaving them. Three frigates and one corvette were set on fire by the Turks themselves. “The battle is glorious, higher than Chesma and Navarino!” - this is how Vice Admiral V.A. Kornilov assessed the battle.

The Turks lost about 3 thousand people, the British reported 4 thousand. Just before the battle, the Ottomans prepared for boardings and put additional soldiers on the ships. Explosions at batteries, fires and explosions of beached ships led to a strong fire in the city. Sinop suffered greatly. The population, authorities and garrison of Sinop fled to the mountains. The British later accused the Russians of deliberate cruelty towards the townspeople. 200 people were captured by the Russians. Among the prisoners was the commander of the Turkish squadron, Vice Admiral Osman Pasha (his leg was broken in the battle) and two ship commanders.

Russian ships fired about 17 thousand shells in four hours. The Battle of Sinop showed the importance of bombing guns for the future development of the fleet. Wooden ships could not withstand the fire of such cannons. It was necessary to develop armor protection for ships. The Rostislav gunners showed the highest rate of fire. 75-100 rounds were fired from each gun on the operational side of the battleship. On other ships of the squadron, 30-70 shots were fired from each gun on the active side. Russian commanders and sailors, according to Nakhimov, showed “truly Russian courage.” The advanced system of educating the Russian sailor, developed and implemented by Lazarev and Nakhimov, proved its superiority in battle. Hard training and sea voyages led to the fact that the Black Sea Fleet passed the Sinop exam with excellent marks.

Some Russian ships received significant damage, they were then towed by steamers, but all remained afloat. Russian losses amounted to 37 killed and 233 wounded. Everyone noted the highest skill of the Russian admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, he correctly took into account his own strengths and the enemy’s forces, took reasonable risks, leading the squadron under fire from coastal batteries and the Omani squadron, worked out the battle plan in detail, and showed determination in achieving the goal. The absence of dead ships and relatively low losses in manpower confirm the reasonableness of Nakhimov’s decisions and naval leadership. Nakhimov himself was, as always, modest and said that all the credit belongs to Mikhail Lazarev. The Sinop battle became a brilliant point in the long history of the development of the sailing fleet. It should be noted that Lazarev, Nakhimov and Kornilov understood this very well, being supporters of the rapid development of the steam fleet.

At the end of the battle, the ships carried out the necessary repairs and weighed anchor on November 20 (December 2), moving to Sevastopol. On the 22nd (December 4), the Russian fleet entered the Sevastopol roadstead with general jubilation. The entire population of Sevastopol greeted the victorious squadron. It was a great day. Endless “Hurray, Nakhimov!” rushed from all sides. News of the crushing victory of the Black Sea Fleet rushed to the Caucasus, the Danube, Moscow and St. Petersburg. Emperor Nicholas awarded Nakhimov the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

Pavel Stepanovich himself was concerned. The Russian admiral was pleased with the purely military results of the Battle of Sinop. The Black Sea Fleet brilliantly solved the main problem: it eliminated the possibility of a Turkish landing on the Caucasian coast and destroyed the Ottoman squadron, gaining complete dominance in the Black Sea. The colossal success was achieved with little blood and material losses. After a difficult search, battle and passage across the sea, all ships successfully returned to Sevastopol. Nakhimov was pleased with the sailors and commanders; they behaved superbly in the hot battle. However, Nakhimov had strategic thinking and understood that the main battles were still ahead. The Sinop victory will cause the appearance of Anglo-French forces in the Black Sea, which will use every effort to destroy the combat-ready Black Sea Fleet. The real war was just beginning.

The Battle of Sinop caused panic in Constantinople, where they were afraid of the appearance of the Russian fleet near the Ottoman capital. In Paris and London, at first they tried to belittle and belittle the significance of the feat of the Nakhimov squadron, and then, when this became useless, as the details of the Battle of Sinop appeared, envy and hatred arose. As Count Alexei Orlov wrote, “we are not forgiven for either skillful orders or the courage to carry them out.” A wave of Russophobia is rising in Western Europe. Westerners did not expect such brilliant actions on the part of the Russian naval forces. England and France are beginning to take retaliatory steps. The English and French squadrons, which were already stationed in the Bosphorus, on December 3 sent 2 ships to Sinop and 2 to Varna for reconnaissance. Paris and London immediately gave Turkey credit for the war. The Turks had been asking for money for a long time without success. Sinop changed everything. France and England were preparing to go to war, and the Battle of Sinop could force Constantinople to agree to a truce; the Ottomans suffered defeats on land and sea. It was necessary to encourage an ally. The largest bank in Paris immediately set about organizing the matter. The Ottoman Empire was given a loan of 2 million pounds sterling in gold. Moreover, half of the subscription for this amount was supposed to be covered by Paris, and the other by London. On the night of December 21-22, 1853 (January 3-4, 1854), the English and French squadrons, together with a division of the Ottoman fleet, entered the Black Sea.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The Soviet government established an order and medal in honor of Nakhimov. The Order was received by officers of the Navy for outstanding success in the development, conduct and support of naval operations, as a result of which an offensive operation of the enemy was repelled or active operations of the fleet were ensured, significant damage was inflicted on the enemy and their forces were preserved. The medal was awarded to sailors and foremen for military merits.

Day of Military Glory of Russia - Victory Day of the Russian squadron under the command of P.S. Nakhimov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Sinop (1853) - noted in accordance with Federal law dated March 13, 1995 “On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia.”

“History has never known such a decisive battle with such unusual results” (Admiral of the Fleet I. S. Isakov)

The Industrial Revolution of the mid-19th century led to unprecedented changes in military affairs: new technical means of warfare meant the end of the concept of the “armed nation” put forward by the French Revolution, and the birth of the doctrine of “nations at war”, which has not lost its relevance to this day. The first armed conflict of the new era is considered to be the Crimean War (another name is the Eastern War) of 1853–56. Each of the battles of this war opened a new page in world military history - the Battle of Sinop was no exception. Here are some facts about this naval battle.

The last battle of the sailing fleets

The battle that took place on November 30, 1853 near the city of Sinop on the Black Sea coast of Turkey between the Turkish and Russian squadrons is considered the last battle of the era of sailing fleets and the first with the use of bomb guns that fired explosive shells.

Turkish forces

The forces of the Turkish squadron, which arrived in Sinop from Istanbul and was preparing to land a large amphibious assault in the area of ​​Sukhum-Kale (modern name - Sukhum) and Poti, consisted of two steam frigates, seven sailing frigates, three corvettes and four transports.

A.P. Bogolyubov, “The extermination of the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop. 1854." Unfortunately, the only available images of Turkish ships are paintings by Russian artists

The flagship of the Turkish squadron was the frigate "Aunni Allah". According to Russian-language sources, the command of the Turkish ships was carried out by Osman Pasha, in turn, English-language sources (in particular, the book by R. Ernest Dupuis and Trevor N. Dupuis “ The World History wars") is named as the commander of Huseyn Pasha. Perhaps Huseyn Pasha took command of the squadron already during the battle, after Osman Pasha was wounded.

Turkish admiral Osman Pasha. The portrait is shown in the book “The Russo-Turkish War” by H. M. Hozier, undated

The Turkish coastal defense consisted of six artillery batteries (one eight-gun, three six-gun and two batteries of unknown composition), armed with 38 guns.

Russian forces

The Russian squadron consisted of six battleships, two sailing frigates and three steam frigates.

I.K. Aivazovsky, “Review of the Black Sea Fleet in 1849.” The second in the column is the battleship Rostislav, which took part in the Battle of Sinop

The Russian squadron was commanded by Vice Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, and the flagship ship was the battleship Empress Maria.

Osman Pasha's dilemma

The Battle of Sinop had a kind of prelude. Approaching Sinop on November 23 and discovering a detachment of Turkish ships in the bay, Admiral Nakhimov decided to block the port with three battleships (Empress Maria, Chesma and Rostislav) until reinforcements arrived from Sevastopol. A significant part of historians condemn the Turkish admiral for the fact that, having a significant advantage in artillery (472 guns versus 252), he did not attack Russian ships. However, the authors of textbooks on naval tactics are more loyal to Osman Pasha. In their opinion, Admiral Nakhimov, having blocked the port, left his Turkish “colleague” two options for the development of events: either, taking a landing party on board, break through to Sukhum-Kala and Poti, or try to destroy the Russian ships and then take on board the landing party. The first option could lead to significant casualties among the landing party, and in the second case, the Russian ships could retreat without taking the fight, and, waiting for the Turkish ships to return to the port, resume the blockade. Therefore, many experts in naval tactics consider the decision of the Turkish admiral to wait for reinforcements to be absolutely justified.

Wake columns are the key to a successful attack

After the arrival of reinforcements, Admiral Nakhimov decided to attack the Turkish squadron. Since he saw the main threat to his ships in Turkish coastal guns, capable of using hot cannonballs in battle, a tactic was chosen designed to minimize the time of the battle. To reduce the time required to reach firing positions, Russian ships had to move in two wake columns (the right column (consisting of the battleships Empress Maria, Chesma and Rostislav) was led by Nakhimov himself, the left column (consisting of the battleships Paris, Velikiy Prince Konstantin" and "Three Saints") - Rear Admiral F. M. Novosilsky). To reduce the time of fire contact, the opening of fire was planned from a distance of 1.5–2 cables (about 270–370 meters).

I.K. Aivazovsky, “120-gun ship “Paris””. "Paris" and the battleships of the same type "Grand Duke Konstantin" and "Three Saints", sheathed below the waterline with steel sheets and armed with bomb guns, constituted the main combat force of the Russian squadron

Destroying an entire squadron in just 3.5 hours

The battle began at 9:30 a.m. with the raising of the signal “Prepare for battle and go to the Sinop roadstead” on the battleship “Empress Maria.” The active part of the battle began at 12 hours 28 minutes, when the Turkish flagship Auni Allah fired the first salvo at the Russian ships. The battle lasted up to 16 hours and ended with the complete defeat of the Turkish squadron. As a result of the battle, the frigate "Navek Bahri", two corvettes ("Nezhm Fishan" and "Gyuli Sefid") and the steam frigate "Erkile" were destroyed, and six frigates ("Aunni Allah", "Fazli Allah", "Nizamiye", "Nesimi" Zefer", "Damiad" and "Kaidi Zefer") and the corvette "Feize Meabud" - washed ashore. The total losses of the Turks amounted to up to 3,000 people killed and wounded, as well as 200 people captured, including Admiral Osman Pasha.

Dismissal is a “reward” for saving the ship

The only surviving Turkish ship is the steam frigate "Taif" under the command of Captain Adolph Slade (sometimes another spelling is found - Slad) - an Englishman who converted to Islam (Russian-language sources do not have a clear opinion about the Muslim name of the captain, calling him "Yahya Bey" or "Mushaver" -pasha").

The story of the ship breaking through from Sinop is no less controversial. Contrary to popular belief, the Taif did not leave Sinop Bay immediately after the start of the battle, but began its breakthrough only at about 13:00 (according to another version - 14:00). It is known for sure that the ship took part in the battle - among the crew there were 11 killed and 17 wounded. According to the most common version, upon returning to Istanbul, Captain Adolph Slade was dismissed from service and stripped of his rank for “inappropriate behavior.” According to legend, Sultan Abdulmecid was very dissatisfied with the flight of Taif, saying: “I would prefer that he did not flee, but died in battle, like the others.”.

Adolph Slade. Image first appeared in Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, undated

“By the extermination of the Turkish squadron at Sinop, you adorned the chronicle of the Russian fleet with a new victory, which will forever remain memorable in the sea.”
Emperor Nicholas
“The battle is glorious, higher than Chesma and Navarino... Hurray, Nakhimov! M.P. Lazarev rejoices at his student.”
V. A. Kornilov

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

In March 1995, Federal Law Russian Federation“On the days of military glory (victorious days) of Russia” established the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of the victory of the Russian squadron over the Turkish squadron at Cape Sinop. The date of Military Glory Day is erroneously set by law as December 1st. The battle itself took place on November 18 (30), 1853 and went down in history as the last major battle of sailing fleets.

Background

The Eastern (Crimean) War arose as a result of the Great Game - contradictions between England and France on the one hand and Russia on the other, during the struggle for influence in the Near and Middle East, the Balkans and the Black Sea region. The masters of the West tried to stop the advance of the Russians in the Balkans, in the Black Sea region, where Russia could gain the Bosporus and Dardanelles, and in the Caucasus with the further expansion of Russian influence in the eastern countries.

Russia was interested in expanding its sphere of influence in the Caucasus and the Balkan Peninsula. Military strategy and the development of the national economy required the occupation of the straits and Constantinople. In order to forever secure the southwestern strategic direction - to exclude the possibility of the enemy fleet passing into the Russian (Black) Sea and to gain free passage to the Mediterranean Sea.

France had its own claims to the Ottoman Empire, especially in Syria and Egypt, and acted as a rival to Russia in the Turkish possessions. London sought to include the Near and Middle East in its sphere of influence and to turn Turkey and Persia into its semi-colonies. The British didn't want Russian empire strengthened due to the rapidly degrading Ottoman Empire. Moreover, the masters of England cherished plans to dismember Russia, tearing away from it the Crimea, the Caucasus regions, the Northern Black Sea region, Little Russia, the Kingdom of Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland. They wanted to cut off the Russians from the seas and push them east.

The Westerners once again made Turkey their partner in the fight against Russia. The Turks acted as “cannon fodder” in the thousand-year confrontation between the West and Russia (Russian civilization). In order to use the Turkish armed forces as a shock vanguard in the fight against Russia, the leadership circles of England, France and Austria provided increased military support to Turkey. Long before the war, it was flooded with English, French and Austrian military advisers, who trained Turkish troops, built fortifications, and supervised the development of military plans. The Turkish troops actively used foreign military specialists, some of them converted to Islam and became “Ottomans.” Under the leadership of foreign specialists, the construction of the Ottoman navy was carried out, which was replenished with ships built in Marseille, Venice, and Livorno. Almost all the artillery of the Turkish fleet was of English origin; British advisers and instructors were at the headquarters and commanders of the Turkish formations.

Relying on the support of England and France (Austria was also afraid of strengthening Russian positions in the Balkans and supported Porto), Turkey hoped for success in the Black Sea theater. The Porte planned to return lost possessions in the Caucasus, in the Northern Black Sea region, including the Crimean Peninsula. England and France, setting Turkey against Russia, could not allow its military collapse and a radical strengthening of the position of the Russian Empire at the expense of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, the regional conflict reached the global level - a world war with the participation of leading world powers.

Beginning of the war

The formal reason for the war was a dispute between Catholics and Orthodox Christians over the right to own holy places in Palestine, which was then part of the Turkish Empire. The great powers intervened in the dispute: Russia took the side of the Orthodox Christians, and France took the side of the Catholic Christians. To push Turkey to open military operations against Russia, the Anglo-French fleet in May 1853 headed to Bezique Bay, located at the entrance to the Dardanelles. There was a rupture in diplomatic relations between Turkey and Russia.

On June 14, 1853, Tsar Nicholas I gave the order to Russian troops, commanded by Prince M.D. Gorchakov, to occupy Moldavia and Wallachia (Danube principalities). Nikolai Pavlovich, who had previously quite successfully led Russia's foreign policy, this time made a strategic mistake. He hoped that it would be possible to agree with England on the division of the inheritance of the Turkish “sick man.” France itself is not dangerous. And Austria and Prussia were considered close allies of St. Petersburg. It seemed that the time had come for the division of the Turkish Empire. However, the masters of the West wanted to get the whole “Turkish pie” without allowing Russia into it. Moreover, use the war with Turkey to decisively defeat and weaken Russia.

Türkiye presented an ultimatum, demanding the withdrawal of the Russian army from the Danube principalities. On October 4, the Porte declared war on Russia. Turkish troops fired at our forces on the Danube, attacked the Russian garrison of the post of St. Nicholas on the Black Sea coast between Poti and Batum. On October 20, St. Petersburg declared a state of war with Turkey. Subsequently, England, France and Sardinia entered the war against Russia. Military operations took place in the Balkans and the Caucasus, in the Black, White and Baltic Seas and in the Pacific Ocean. But the main theater of war was the Black Sea.

The plan of the Turkish command was to oust Russian troops from Moldavia and Wallachia and take up defensive positions on the Danube front until the approach of the Anglo-French troops. It was planned to conduct offensive operations in Transcaucasia.

Black Sea Fleet

The Russian Black Sea Fleet had 14 sailing battleships, 6 sailing frigates, 16 corvettes and brigs, 7 steam frigates and 138 small ships. Despite the fact that it did not have a single steam battleship, it represented a serious fighting force. Sailing ships were distinguished by their speed and strong armament. The fleet had qualified officers and well-trained enlisted personnel. The fleet was commanded by experienced and decisive commanders who were not afraid to take the initiative.

In the pre-war period, the Russian fleet on the Black Sea was led by great people - Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev, Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov, Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, Vladimir Ivanovich Istomin. They were representatives of the advanced school of Russian naval art. Nakhimov, Kornilov and Istomin for many years were elected directors of the Sevastopol Maritime Library - one of the oldest in the country. Thanks to their educational activities, the library's book collections increased several times. Nakhimov widely popularized the Marine Collection magazine, which began publishing in 1848, among sailors. The main attention of Lazarev, Kornilov, Nakhimov and other advanced commanders - heirs of the school of Suvorov, Ushakov and Senyavin - was focused on the combat training of the fleet, training sailors in the techniques and methods of naval combat. Their activities embodied the instructions of D.N. Senyavin that commanders “communicate more often with their subordinates, know each of them and know that their service does not consist only of commanding people during work, but that they must also enter into their private life... The chief and officer must be able to arouse competition for diligent service in their subordinates with the encouragement of the most excellent. They must know the spirit of the Russian sailor, to whom gratitude is sometimes most dear.”

“The sailor controls the sails, and he also points the gun at the enemy. The sailor rushes to board. If necessary, the sailor will do everything,” said P. S. Nakhimov. In recognizing the primary role of the ordinary sailor in ensuring victory over the enemy, Lazarev, Nakhimov and Kornilov saw the success of combat training, the basis for increasing the combat effectiveness of the fleet. They understood the sailors and instilled in them not “a serf on a ship,” but a sense of dignity and love for their native land. Kornilov and Nakhimov tried in every possible way to improve the living conditions of the sailors who had carried out hard service for 25 years. All contemporaries unanimously emphasized Pavel Stepanovich’s concern for the sailors. “Nakhimov’s concern for the sailors,” wrote one of the Black Sea residents, “reached the point of pedantry.” In return, the sailors loved their commander.

Nakhimov clearly understood that the combat training system, aimed at ostentatious brilliance, would lead to disastrous results during real combat operations. He was opposed to parade drill and taught sailors what would be required in war. He instilled initiative, determination, and endurance in the sailors, and strictly demanded that everything necessary and useful be done. The personal example of commander Nakhimov considered the best method education. As a result, Nakhimov’s authority among the Black Sea sailors was very high. Kornilov also raised sailors in the same spirit.

First half of the 19th century was an important stage in the development of technical progress in the fleet. Research in the field of naval artillery led to the creation of bomb (bomb) guns. These guns fired explosive bombs, which were extremely dangerous for wooden sailing ships. The potential of such guns was first assessed in the Black Sea Fleet. On the initiative of Lazarev, Kornilov and Nakhimov, such guns were installed on many battleships. Highest value In the development of the fleet, the use of steam power to move ships began. A revolution was taking place in shipbuilding and naval affairs. Ships with a steam engine acquired fundamentally new seaworthiness, technical and combat qualities. In 1820, the military steamer Vesuvius, built in Nikolaev, became part of the Black Sea Fleet.

Until the 1940s, many military experts still believed that the basis of military fleets would remain sailing battleships with powerful artillery - 100 - 120 guns. The first steamships had little power; only 10 - 20 guns could be installed on them. However, the development of scientific and technological progress led to the rapid improvement of steamships. Lazarev, Kornilov and Nakhimov quickly appreciated this prospect. On the initiative of Lazarev, in the late 1830s - 1840s, the first iron military steamships and the first steamship frigates in Russia were laid down and built in Nikolaev. They had both sailing equipment and a steam engine. Kornilov was an active supporter of the development of the construction of screw ships. From the very first years of his tenure as chief of staff of the fleet, he raised the question with the heads of the naval department about the rearmament of the Black Sea Fleet and the widespread introduction of the steam engine on ships. The construction of screw ships and the re-equipment of the shipbuilding base, he wrote, “in my eyes, are items of paramount importance for the Black Sea Fleet, on the thorough decisions of which its entire future depends.”

Advanced scientific and technical thought in Russia often went ahead of foreign science. However, many Russian discoveries and inventions were not found practical application in Russia (some were later successfully mastered in the West). The Russian Empire began to lag behind the advanced Western powers in technical and economic development, which could not but have a negative impact on the country’s armed forces, including the Black Sea Fleet.

The deck of the battleship "Empress Maria" during the battle of Sinope. 1853 Hood. A. D. Kivshenko

The beginning of hostilities at sea

In the strategic plans of the Turkish command, an important role was assigned to the Caucasus. 20 thousand were concentrated in Batumi. landing and a large flotilla of 250 coastal ships intended to land landing forces in the area of ​​Sukhumi, Poti, Gagra, Sochi and Tuapse. To ensure the landing in Constantinople, a squadron of the best ships was formed. Vice Admiral Osman Pasha was appointed commander, and Rear Admiral Hussein Pasha was appointed as the second flagship. The reconnaissance was carried out by a detachment of three steamship frigates under the flag of Vice Admiral Mustafa Pasha. The main adviser to the Turkish command in this operation was the English captain A. Slade, who had the rank of rear admiral in the Ottoman fleet. Meanwhile, the Anglo-French fleet moved from the Dardanelles to the Bosphorus and was preparing to rush into the Black Sea.

In September 1853, the squadron under the command of Vice Admirals V.A. Kornilov and P.S. Nakhimov delivered the 13th Infantry Division (16 thousand people) with its entire convoy and a month's supply of food to the Caucasian coast. At the same time, a detachment of ships transferred the 14th Infantry Division (8 thousand people) from Odessa to Sevastopol. The fleet then began cruising operations off the Bosporus and along the entire Anatolian coast of the Turkish Empire with the task of disrupting its communications.

The fighting in the Black Sea began with two battles, the result of which clearly demonstrated the high effectiveness of the school of combat training of personnel by Lazarev, Kornilov and Nakhimov. The first battle took place on November 5th. The steamship-frigate "Vladimir" under the command of Lieutenant Commander G.I. Butakov searched for the enemy off the Turkish coast. On board was Vice Admiral Kornilov. Early that day, observers noticed the silhouette of an unknown ship in the northwest. Kornilov advised the commander to change course and approach. An hour later the unknown ship was overtaken. It turned out to be the Turkish military steamer Pervaz-Bahri. A two-hour battle began, during which, according to Kornilov, the commander of the frigate Butakov “gave orders as if on maneuvers.” The Pervaz-Bahri, having received significant damage and suffered casualties from the well-aimed fire of Russian sailors, lowered its flag. Thus, the first battle of steam ships in the history of wars ended in a brilliant victory for the Russian steam frigate.

On the night of November 9 (21), according to other sources, November 6 (18), the Russian sailing 44-gun frigate “Flora”, Lieutenant Commander A. N. Skorobogatov, in the area of ​​​​Cape Pitsunda, met with three Turkish steamships - “Taif” , “Fezi-Bahri” and “Saik-Ishade” under the overall command of Vice Admiral Mustafa Pasha and English military adviser A. Slade. In total, the enemy ships had 6 10-inch guns, 12 36-pounders, 44 18-pounders. The battle began at 2 a.m. and continued intermittently until 9 a.m. The frigate "Flora" skillfully maneuvered and by the end of the battle managed to inflict damage on the enemy's flagship steamer. Turkish ships hastily left to the west. The Russian frigate returned to its base in victory. The basis of this success, on the one hand, was the composure and courage of Captain Skorobogatov, who was not afraid of the superior forces of the enemy, the courage and knowledge of the sailors who skillfully maneuvered and fought. On the other hand, there are the unsatisfactory actions of enemy commanders, who were unable to take advantage of either steam ships for simultaneous attacks from different sides, or large-caliber bomb guns that could be used to attack while being out of reach of the Russian frigate, as well as the poor training of Turkish artillerymen.

Sinop

At the beginning of November 1853, a Russian squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P. S. Nakhimov cruised off the coast of Turkish Anatolia. During a severe storm on November 8 - 10, the battleships of the squadron "Brave" and "Svyatoslav" and the frigate "Kovarna" were severely damaged and were sent for repairs to Sevastopol. There were 3 battleships and one brig left in Nakhimov’s squadron. Continuing the search for the enemy, on November 11 she approached Sinop Bay and discovered there an enemy squadron under the command of Osman Pasha, consisting of 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, 2 steamers, 2 brigs and 2 transports. The ships were protected by six coastal batteries. The Turkish ships were armed with 476 guns, and the coastal batteries had 44 guns.

Despite such a significant numerical superiority of the enemy, the Russian commander decided to block the Turkish fleet in the bay. The brig "Aeneas" was sent to Sevastopol for reinforcements. The Turks showed weakness and did not dare to break through the positions of the weak Russian squadron and began to wait for the approach of the Anglo-French fleet. On November 16, 3 battleships and 2 frigates from the squadron of Rear Admiral F. M. Novosilsky arrived to help Nakhimov. Now it was possible to begin the attack, although this time the tactical advantage remained with the Turkish squadron. Having armed ships, the Turks could attack Russian ships from any direction. In addition, the enemy was protected by coastal batteries. On November 17, Nakhimov convened the ship commanders and briefed them on the plan for the upcoming battle. In an order issued just before the battle, the admiral wrote that Russia expected “glorious exploits from the Black Sea Fleet. It’s up to us to live up to expectations.”

At 9:30 a.m. on November 18 (30), a signal was raised on the Russian flagship Empress Maria: “Prepare for battle and go to the Sinop roadstead.” The squadron weighed anchor. By noon, she entered the Sinop roadstead in two columns. The first was headed by the 84-gun ship "Empress Maria" under the flag of Nakhimov, and at the head of the second was the 120-gun ship "Paris" under the flag of Novosilsky. The 120-gun Grand Duke Konstantin and the 80-gun Chesma were in the wake of the Empress Maria. Novosilsky's ship was followed by the 120-gun "Three Saints" and the 80-gun "Rostislav". The Turkish fleet stood in the bay in a crescent-shaped formation, repeating the outline of the coast. The left flank of this formation rested on battery No. 4, and the right flank on battery No. 6. In the center of the battle formation, the Turks installed an 8-gun large-caliber battery No. 5. All ships closely watched the flagship, waiting for the signal to start the battle. At 12 o'clock the flag indicating noon flew on board the Empress Maria. The admiral, even at such an anxious moment before the battle, decided to observe maritime customs. This episode, which emphasized Nakhimov’s exceptional calm, made a strong impression on the crews of the ships.

At about 12 hours 30 minutes, when the Russian ships approached the designated places, the Turkish squadron and coastal batteries opened heavy fire. In the first minutes, the Russian ships were literally bombarded with a hail of cannonballs, cannonballs and grapeshot. However, the Ottoman gunners, as in the Battle of Navarino in 1827, repeated the same mistake: instead of concentrating fire on the hulls, they again hit the spars and sails. With a fair and fairly strong wind, this fire most often did not reach its target. In addition, Nakhimov foresaw in advance that the enemy would hit the spars rather than the decks. This technique was used by the Turks in the hope of incapacitating as many Russian sailors as possible when they removed the sails before anchoring. But the Russian sailors, thanks to the order of the Russian admiral, were below. Nakhimov decided to anchor without fastening the sails, thereby saving the lives and health of many sailors and preserving the combat effectiveness of Russian ships at a critical moment in the battle.

Having dropped the anchors, the Russian ships almost simultaneously entered the battle along the entire line. The Turks immediately felt the power and accuracy of the fire of the Russian ships. Within half an hour, the flagship frigate Avni-Allah, unable to withstand the fire of the Empress Maria, unfastened its anchor-chain and ran aground. Several Turkish ships and coastal batteries unleashed the power of their guns on Nakhimov’s ship: they destroyed most of the spars and standing rigging, leaving only one intact shroud at the mainmast. But the Russians continued to fight. Having dealt with the Turkish flagship, Nakhimov transferred fire to another frigate, the Fazli-Allah. Unable to withstand the fire, the Turks riveted the anchor-chain on this frigate. The current and wind quickly carried the frigate to the shore, and soon the Fazli-Allah was already burning.

The sailors of the battleship Paris under the command of Captain 1st Rank V.I. Istomin fought heroically. They defeated three enemy ships. Delighted by this success, Nakhimov ordered a signal to convey gratitude to the valiant crew. But on the Empress Maria all the signal lines were broken. Then a boat was sent to Paris. Having destroyed four frigates and one corvette, the Empress Maria and Paris transferred the fire to the most powerful battery No. 5. After some minutes, the battery was left in piles of ruins. The servants fled in panic.

The crews of other Russian ships fought no less bravely. "Grand Duke Konstantin" stood against two 60-gun frigates "Navek-Bahri" and "Nesimi-Zefer" and a 24-gun corvette "Nedzhmi-Feshan". These ships were covered by the fire of battery No. 4. At first, the entire power of the 68-pound bomb guns of the Konstantin was unleashed on the frigates. The Chesma, which soon approached, despite the shots from battery No. 3, directed the fire of its cannons at the frigate Navek-Bahri. Twenty minutes later, the Turkish frigate took off. Battery No. 4 was covered with the wreckage of the frigate. Having finished with one frigate, "Konstantin", turning to the spring, began to shoot "Nesimi-Zefer" and "Nedzhmi-Feshan", and "Chesma" turned its guns against batteries No. 3 and 4 and soon leveled them with the ground. Meanwhile, Konstantin dealt with the frigate and corvette. Engulfed in flames, both enemy ships washed ashore.

The battle on the left flank was no less fierce. On the ship "Three Saints" at the very beginning of the battle, the Turks killed the spring. The ship, remaining at one anchor, turned its stern towards battery No. 6. The Turks, however, only managed to fire a few salvos. “Rostislav” came to the rescue of the “Three Saints”, transferring the fire to the battery. Meanwhile, with the help of the longboat, the ship's position was restored. Through the joint efforts of “Rostislav” and “Three Saints”, the frigate “Kaidi-Zefer” and the corvette “Feize-Meabur” were first destroyed, and then battery No. 6. In the shootout, the enemy cannonball hit directly the battery of “Rostislav”: the powder box caught fire, fire began to spread towards the cruise chamber. "Rostislav" was in danger: he could fly into the air. But the brave midshipman Nikolai Kolokoltsev saved his ship from destruction. He received the rank of lieutenant and the Order of St. George, 4th degree. In the same year he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree, and for his participation in the defense of Sevastopol - a golden weapon.

The close firing range, excellent artillery preparation, and the courage and heroism of the squadron sailors quickly decided the outcome of the battle. Under their fire, Turkish ships ran aground, burned and flew into the air. By 16 o'clock the battle was over. 15 Turkish ships and coastal batteries were destroyed. Only one steamship, the Taif, was saved, on which was the chief adviser to the Turkish admiral, the Englishman A. Slade. Having rushed to his heels at the most critical moment, he brought to Constantinople the news of the complete defeat of the Turkish squadron.

Results

In the Battle of Sinop, the Turks lost 3 thousand people killed and drowned. Several hundred sailors and officers were taken prisoner, including the commander of the squadron, Osman Pasha. The Russian fleet did not lose a single ship. The personnel losses were: killed - 38 people and wounded - 233.

The Battle of Sinop was the last major battle of sailing ships. The actions of the Russian squadron were an outstanding example of active offensive tactics. Nakhimov seized the initiative at the very beginning of the battle and held it until the last moment. Naval artillery was used effectively. A carefully developed artillery attack plan by Nakhimov was carried out with the maximum use of bombing guns, which played an important role in the defeat of the enemy. The decisive force that determined the defeat of the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop was the Russian sailors and officers, their excellent training, high morale and self-control.

The Sinop victory of the Russian fleet was of great political and military significance. The defeat of the Turkish squadron in Sinop significantly weakened Turkey's naval forces and thwarted its plans to land troops on the Caucasus coast. After the battle, the Russian fleet was able to assist the coastal flanks of the ground forces in the Danube and Caucasus theaters. Turkish troops on the Danube and the Caucasus were deprived of the support of their fleet.

The Sinop defeat meant the failure of the traditional English policy of waging war by proxy. The mask was torn off from the true organizers of the Eastern War. Türkiye suffered a decisive defeat at the very beginning of the war. To save it from collapse, England and France entered into open war. On December 23, 1853, the English and French squadrons entered the Black Sea. On March 15, 1854, England and France declared war on Russia. The precursor to the world war began, where the main enemy of the collective West was Russia.

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