The Battle of Sinop during which war. A victory that neither Russia nor Turkey should forget

In the late 40s and early 50s. XIX century began to mature new conflict in the Middle East, the reason for which was the dispute between the Catholic and Orthodox clergy about “Palestinian shrines”.

The discussion was about which of the churches has the right to own the keys to the Bethlehem Temple and other Christian shrines Palestine - at that time a province Ottoman Empire. In 1850 Orthodox Patriarch Cyril of Jerusalem turned to the Turkish authorities for permission to repair the main dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At the same time, the Catholic mission raised the issue of the rights of the Catholic clergy, putting forward a demand for the restoration of the Catholic silver star taken from the Holy Manger and for the key to the main gate of the Bethlehem Church to be handed over to them. At first, the European public did not pay much attention to this dispute, which continued throughout 1850-52.

The initiator of the aggravation of the conflict was France, where during the revolution of 1848-1849. Louis Napoleon, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, came to power and proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in 1852 under the name Napoleon III. He decided to use this conflict to strengthen his position within the country, enlisting the support of the influential French clergy. In addition, in his foreign policy he sought to restore the former power of Napoleonic France early XIX century. New french emperor sought a small victorious war in order to strengthen its international prestige. From that time on, Russian-French relations began to deteriorate, and Nicholas I refused to recognize Napoleon III as the legitimate monarch.

Nicholas I, for his part, hoped to use this conflict for a decisive attack on the Ottoman Empire, mistakenly believing that neither England nor France would take decisive action in its defense. However, England saw the spread of Russian influence in the Middle East as a threat to British India and entered into an anti-Russian alliance with France.

In February 1853, A.S. arrived in Constantinople on a special mission. Menshikov is the great-grandson of the famous associate. The purpose of his visit was to obtain from the Turkish Sultan the restoration of all former rights and privileges of the Orthodox community. However, his mission ended in failure, which led to a complete break in diplomatic relations between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. To increase pressure on the Ottoman Empire, in June the Russian army under the command of M.D. Gorchakova occupied the Danube principalities. In October, the Turkish Sultan declared war on Russia.

On November 18, 1853, in Sinop Bay on the southern coast of the Black Sea, the last major battle in the history of the sailing fleet.

The Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha left Constantinople for a landing operation in the Sukhum-Kale area and made a stop in Sinop Bay. The Russian Black Sea Fleet had the task of preventing active enemy actions. The squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimova, consisting of three battleships, during cruising duty, discovered the Turkish squadron and blocked it in the bay. Help was requested from Sevastopol.

By the time of the battle, the Russian squadron included 6 battleships and 2 frigates, and the Turkish squadron included 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, 2 steam frigates, 2 brigs, 2 transports. The Russians had 720 guns, and the Turks - 510.

The Turkish ships began the artillery battle. The Russian ships managed to break through the enemy's barrage, anchored and opened a crushing return fire. The 76 bomb cannons that were first used by the Russians, firing not cannonballs, but explosive shells, turned out to be especially effective. As a result of the battle, which lasted 4 hours, the entire Turkish fleet and all batteries of 26 guns were destroyed. The Turkish steamer Taif, under the command of A. Slade, the English adviser to Osman Pasha, escaped. The Turks lost over 3 thousand people killed and drowned, about 200 people. were captured. The commander-in-chief himself, Osman Pasha, ended up in Russian captivity. He, abandoned by his sailors, was rescued from the burning flagship by Russian sailors. When Nakhimov asked Osman Pasha if he had any requests, he replied: “To save me, your sailors risked their lives. I ask them to be rewarded properly.” The Russians lost 37 people. killed and 235 wounded. With the victory in Sinop Bay, the Russian fleet gained complete dominance in the Black Sea and thwarted plans for a Turkish landing in the Caucasus.

The defeat of the Turkish fleet was the reason for the entry into the conflict of England and France, which sent their squadrons into the Black Sea and landed troops near the Bulgarian city of Varna. In March 1854, an offensive military treaty between England, France and Turkey against Russia was signed in Istanbul (in January 1855, the Sardinian kingdom also joined the coalition). In April 1854, the allied squadron bombarded Odessa, and in September 1854, allied troops landed near Yevpatoria. The heroic page of the Crimean War was opened - the defense of Sevastopol.

Victory Day of the Russian squadron at Cape Sinop

When even big victory not at all happy

Painting by I.K. Aivazovsky's "Battle of Sinop" (1853) was written from the words of the participants in the battle.

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

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

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

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

And now how it was

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


I.K. Aivazovsky. "Battle of Sinop November 18, 1853 (the night after the battle)."

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

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

All ships except the frigates were damaged. On Nakhimov’s flagship ship “Empress Maria,” 60 holes were counted in the hull and a lot of serious damage to the mast and rigging. Despite these damages and a strong storm, all ships arrived in Sevastopol on November 23.


N.P. Krasovsky. Return of the Black Sea Fleet squadron to Sevastopol after the Battle of Sinop. 1863.
For this battle, Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd degree, a rare and very prestigious military award. Almost all squadron officers received various awards and encouragement. The glory of the winners resounded everywhere. The victory at Sinop, and then the heroic death on the bastion of Sevastopol, immortalized the name of Nakhimov, and our best maritime traditions are associated with him. Nakhimov became a national hero.

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

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

The main political result of the first months of the war and, above all, the Battle of Sinop, was the complete failure of the plans of England and France to wage war by proxy. The real organizers of the Crimean War were shown. Convinced of Turkey's complete inability to wage war with Russia, England and France were forced to openly enter into war with Russia.

Modern view of Sinop Bay - the site of the battle
The Battle of Sinop was the last major battle of the sailing fleet, but at the same time, it was the first naval battle in which the effectiveness of bombing guns was so convincingly demonstrated. This significantly accelerated the transition to the construction of an armored fleet.

Considered the last major battle in the era of the sailing fleet. It happened in 1853, November 18.

The situation in the Black Sea basin worsened back in May. At that time, between Russia and Turkey, the Russian army entered the territory of the Danube principalities. At the same time, the English and French squadrons arrived at the Dardanelles.

Türkiye at the end of September demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops, giving Russia an ultimatum. However, without waiting for the end of his term, military action began.

A detachment of the Danube flotilla in October 1853 was fired upon from the Isakcha fortress. On October 16, the post of St. was unexpectedly attacked. Nicholas, which was located between Batum and Poti on the Black Sea coast. Thus, military operations at sea began between Russia and Turkey.

Under the command of Slade (English adviser) and Osman Pasha (Turkish vice admiral), the Turkish squadron proceeded to the Poti area and from Istanbul for the landing. It (squadron) consisted of two armed steamships, seven frigates, two brigs, two corvettes, sloops and had 500 guns. In Sinop Bay, the Turks took refuge from the storm under the protection of thirty-eight coastal guns.

On November 8, the Turkish squadron was discovered by the squadron of P. S. Nakhimov (Russian vice admiral) and blocked. The Russians had three 296 guns (including 76 bomb guns) and a frigate.

On November 16, F. M. Novosilsky’s squadron, consisting of three battleships and a frigate, arrived at Sinop. Nakhimov, who assumed that the Turks would be strengthened at sea by the British, decided to attack them in the bay. On November 18, the Battle of Sinop began.

Nakhimov, knowing the techniques of the Turks, foreseeing in advance that enemy fire upon approach would be concentrated not on the decks, but on the spars, decided to anchor without fastening the sails. All sailors remained below during the shelling. Thanks to this, the lives of many soldiers were saved and the combat effectiveness of the Russian squadron was preserved at one of the most critical stages of the battle.

Russian ships broke through fairly strong defensive fire from coastal batteries and Turkish ships. Entering the bay in two wake columns, they anchored with springs.

The Sinop battle continued with crushing fire from the Russian squadron on one side from a distance of 300-350 meters with 312 guns. During the battle, which lasted two and a half hours, all coastal batteries and Turkish ships were destroyed. The Battle of Sinop ended with the capture of Osman Pasha, the commanders of two ships and another two hundred people. The Turks lost about four thousand soldiers killed and wounded.

Slade (English adviser), one of the commanders of the Turkish squadron, fled in disgrace in the midst of the battle on the twenty-gun steamer Taif. Nakhimov's Russian squadron did not lose a single ship.

The Battle of Sinop summed up the centuries-long development of sailing ships, which were replaced by steamships. In addition, combat experience in the bay influenced the subsequent formation of fleets in many states.

The Battle of Sinop, the victory of the Russian squadron in it, was a clear result of the advanced system of education and training of Black Sea sailors, which was carried out by the best naval commanders of Russia. The high skill that the sailors showed during the battle was achieved by them through persistent campaigns, studies, and training. Thousands of fighters, who possessed all the qualities necessary for the complex and difficult profession of a sailor, but who did not initially have sufficient knowledge of maritime affairs, acquired invaluable experience during training and during military operations, and their moral fighting qualities reached a high level.

“With the extermination of the Turkish squadron you decorated the chronicle of the Russian fleet 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. Prevent the Ottomans from landing a large landing force on the eastern coast of the Black Sea in the Sukhum-Kale (Sukhumi) and Poti area 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 wind continued after the storm on November 8.

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.

The battle of the frigate Vladimir with the Turkish-Egyptian military steamer Pervaz-Bahri on November 5, 1853. A. P. Bogolyubov

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 Constantine" 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 vessels 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 alarm message to Istanbul, asked 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 Russian Empire, the admiral could refuse.

N. P. Medovikov. P. S. Nakhimov during the Battle of Sinop on November 18, 1853

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.

I.K. Aivazovsky. "Sinop Battle"

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.

A. V. Ganzen “Battleship “Empress Maria” under sail”

I. K. Aivazovsky “120-gun ship “Paris””

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" (Taif), on board which was chief advisor Turk 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 the possible actions of 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.”

I.K. Aivazovsky. “Sinop. The night after the battle on November 18, 1853"

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. 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 1941-1945 The Soviet government established an order and medal in honor of Nakhimov. Officers received the order 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 one’s 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)

Industrial Revolution mid-19th century led to unprecedented changes in military affairs: new technical means of warfare meant the end of the concept of an “armed nation” put forward French Revolution, and the birth of the “nation at war” doctrine, which has not lost its relevance to this day. The first armed conflict new era it is generally accepted Crimean War(other name - Eastern War) 1853–56. Each of the battles of this war opened new page 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 last fight era of sailing fleets and the first to use bomb guns that fired explosive shells.

Turkish forces

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

Ships of the Turkish squadron

Ship type	Name	Number of guns
Sailing frigate	"Nizamiye"
Sailing frigate	"Nesimi Zefer"
Sailing frigate	"Forever Bahri"
Sailing frigate	"Damiad"
Sailing frigate	"Kaidi Zefer"
Sailing frigate	"Aunni Allah"
Sailing frigate	"Fazli Allah"
	"Nezhm Fishan"
	"Faze Meabud"
	"Guli Sefid"
Steam frigate
Steam frigate	"Erkile"
Total

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

Ships of the Russian squadron

Ship type	Name	Number of guns
Battleship
Battleship	"Grand Duke Constantine"
Battleship	"Three Saints"
Battleship	"Empress Maria"
Battleship
Battleship	"Rostislav"
	"Kulevchi"
Steam frigate	"Odessa"
Steam frigate
Steam frigate	"Chersonese"
Total

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 teaching aids In terms of naval tactics, they 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 rise to battleship“Empress Maria” signal “Prepare for battle and go to the Sinop raid.” 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 Muslim name 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