The spirit in the troops is beyond description. During times ancient Greece there was not so much heroism. I was not able to be in action even once, but I thank God that I saw these people and live in this glorious time.

Lev Tolstoy

The Battle of Sinop November 18 (30), 1853 - a naval battle between the Russian and Ottoman empires as part of the Crimean War. The Russian fleet, under the command of Nakhimov, won, but it was a victory in the battle, but Russia lost the war itself. Many rumors and myths have been created around the Sinop naval battle today, so I want to sort out this page of Russian history.

Balance of forces and means

The Russian Squadron, commanded by Vice Admiral Pavel Nakhimov, consisted of 11 ships with 734 guns. The squadron was divided into 3 classes of ships:

• Frigates: " Kulevchi"(60 guns) and " Cahul"(44 guns)
• Battleships: " Three Saints" And " Grand Duke Konstantin"(both 120 guns), " Paris"(Novosilsky's flagship with 120 guns), " Rostislav" And " Chesma"(about 84 guns each), " Empress Maria"(Nakhimov's flagship with 84 guns).
• Steamboats: " Chersonesos», « Odessa" And " Crimea».

The Turkish squadron, commanded by Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, consisted of 12 ships with 476 guns, which were additionally assigned 2 brigs and 2 military transports. The warships of the Turkish squadron were also divided into three classes:

• Sailing corvettes: " Feyzi-Meabood" And " Nejmi-Feshan"(24 guns each), "Gyuli -Sefid"(22 guns).
• Sailing frigates: " Nizamiye"(64 guns), " Forever-Bahri" And " Nesimi-Zefer"(60 guns each), " Damiad"(56 guns), " Kaidi-Zepher"(54 guns), " Fazli-Allah" And " Avni-Allah"(44 guns each). The flagship was " Avni-Allah».
• Steam frigates: " Taif"(22 guns), " Erekli"(2 guns).

We see a clear superiority of the Russian squadron, but here it is important to understand that the Turkish side had the support of coastal artillery, and the Russian ships were late for the start of the Battle of Sinop. They reached the shores of Sinop at a time when the outcome of the battle was already a foregone conclusion. However, even if we do not take into account the steamships of the Russian squadron, the superiority of the Russian side over the Turkish side is obvious. Why, under such conditions, did the Ottoman Empire declare war on Russia and was ready to conduct a naval battle off the coast of Sinop? The main reason is the hope for the promised support from England and France. This support was refused, but only after the Ottoman Empire lost the Battle of Sinop, and when a real reason appeared for England and France to enter the war against Russia. As has happened many times in world history, the British are sacrificing allies in order to obtain a plausible pretext for entering the war.

Progress of the battle

The chronology of the Sinop naval battle on November 18, 1853 can be presented as follows:

• 12:00 - Russian squadron Black Sea Fleet approaching Turkish ships near the Sinop roadstead.
• 12:30 - Turkish ships and coastal artillery of Sinop open fire on Russian ships.
• 13:00 - The Russian fleet focuses its attacks on the Turkish frigate Avni-Allah. Within a few tens of minutes, the frigate was flooded and thrown ashore.
• 14:30 - the main part of the Battle of Sinop is over. Most of the Turkish ships were destroyed. Only the steamship Taif managed to escape, which headed to Constantinople, where it reported to the Turkish Sultan about the defeat.
• 18:30 - the Russian fleet finally destroyed the Turkish ships and suppressed the resistance of coastal artillery.

The Battle of Sinop began with attempts by the Russian fleet to take the necessary positions, in response to which fire was opened from the coastal artillery of Sinop and the fleet Ottoman Empire. Regarding the coastal artillery, it should be noted that it had 6 lines: the first 2 opened fire in a timely manner, 3 and 4 - late, 5 and 6 did not reach the Russian ships. From the very beginning of the battle, the Turkish side tried to damage the flagship ships, so shots were fired in the direction of the battleships Paris and Empress Maria.

Pavel Nakhimov also chose the flagship ships of the Ottoman Empire as his target in order to defeat the enemy command’s fleet. Therefore, from the first minutes of the battle, the main blow fell on the sailing frigate Avni-Allah, which very quickly caught fire and sank. After this, the fire was transferred to another flagship of the Turkish side, Fazli-Allah. This ship also very soon received serious damage and was put out of action. After this, the fire was equally divided between the enemy ships and the coastal battery. The skillful actions of Nakhimov and the entire Russian fleet led to the fact that in just a few hours the Battle of Sinop was won.

Map of the Sinopo naval battle

Losses of the parties

The losses of the Turkish side as a result of the Battle of Sinop were catastrophic. Of the 15 ships that took part in the battle in one way or another, only one remained afloat - the steam frigate Taif, which managed to escape from the battlefield and was the first to reach the shores of Constantinople, reporting to the Turkish Sultan about what had happened. The Turkish squadron at the start of the battle numbered 4,500 people. At the end of the battle, the losses of the Turkish side were as follows:

• Killed - 3,000 people or 66% of the personnel.
• Wounded - 500 people or 11% of personnel.
• Prisoners - 200 people or 4.5% of the personnel.

Vice Admiral of the Ottoman Empire Osman Pasha was also captured by the Russians.

The losses of the Russian squadron were insignificant. Of the personnel, 230 people were wounded and 37 people were killed. During the battle, all the ships of the Russian fleet received damage of varying degrees of severity, but each of them was able to reach Sevastopol under its own power.

Western myths about the victory of the Russian fleet

The reaction to the victory of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Sinop in the west followed immediately. This reaction resulted in the emergence of 3 myths, which are still widespread today:

1. Russia won a bloody and brutal victory.
2. Russia captured Osman Pasha. He died in captivity.
3. Russia targeted the city with targeted fire, resulting in large numbers of civilian casualties and severe destruction of the city.

To show the West’s reaction to the battle at Sinop, it is enough to quote from a note in the English newspaper “The Hampshire Telegraph” dated December 12, 1853.

Russia continues to celebrate their bloody victory in the battle as they continued to fire at Turkish ships that were out of action and unable to resist. The squadron bravely resisted, but the Russians, cold-blooded and cynically, completely destroyed it. Before the battle, there were 4,490 people in the Turkish squadron. After the battle, only 358 remained alive. The city of Sinop was completely destroyed due to heavy fire from Russian artillery. The entire coastline is strewn with the corpses of the dead. The local population that remains alive has neither food nor water. They are not provided with proper medical care.

Now let's figure out what really happened, and whether these myths have at least some basis. Let's start with the simplest myth - the death in Russian captivity of Vice Admiral of the Ottoman Empire Osman Pasha. The English version is that the wounded Osman Pasha was captured, where he was not given medical care, as a result of which he died. In fact, the wounded Osman Pasha was indeed captured, but in 1856 he was released and returned to his homeland. After that, he held a position for a long time on the Admiralty Council under the Turkish Sultan, and died only in 1897.

The myth of the Bloody Victory of the Russian fleet is also nothing more than fiction. First, you need to understand that there was a war going on. Moreover, the war that was declared by Turkey. Any war, and especially between serious geopolitical rivals, is always accompanied by cruelty and casualties. And the British press, which attacks the Russian fleet for the Battle of Sinop, absolutely forgets to consider, for example, the issues of the bombing of Dresden in 1945. Of course, almost 100 years passed between these events, but the reaction itself is indicative. The victory of the Russian fleet in the naval battle at Sinop is a bloody victory, and the bombing of the peaceful city of Dresden, when the Second World War was actually over, is a normal occurrence. This is a manifestation of double standards. An important point regarding the Battle of Sinop concerns the civilian population. According to the English version, almost all of it was exterminated by the barbaric Russian fleet. In fact, most of the population left Sinop long before the battle. They had time, because a few days before the battle, Osman Pasha gave the order to bring the Turkish fleet into the harbor, since the Russian ships managed to detect the enemy. As a result, during bombings and explosions of ships, debris fell on residential areas, where there was simply no one to put out the fire. Therefore, if we consider, for example, the Greek part of the city, it was practically not damaged. This is not due to the fact that it was not bombed, but because its inhabitants did not leave the city and were able to put out the fire. Therefore, the fact of destruction, and quite strong, of Sinop is true, but the cause-and-effect relationship is absolutely broken. The destruction of the city is not due to targeted bombing, but to the fact that the battle took place directly off the coast of the city, and also to the fact that there was simply no one to liquidate the consequences of the fire in time.

Victory results

The Sinop victory of the Russian fleet is usually called “fruitless”. The victory itself was outstanding, but did not bring any significant dividends to Russia. Moreover, it was this naval battle that ultimately became the pretext that England and France used to enter the war against Russia on the side of the Ottoman Empire. As a result, the Crimean War was finally formed - one of the few wars that the Russian Empire lost.

Directly for the victory at Sinop in 1853, Vice Admiral Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Nicholas 1 was absolutely delighted with the victory and called Nakhimov the best admiral in history.

New types of ships and guns

The Crimean War and the Battle of Sinop are characteristic from the point of view of the use of new types of ships and new guns. The use of steam engines in industry led to the idea of ​​transferring them to ships. Before this, ships were only sailing, which means they were highly dependent on the wind for movement. The first steamboat was built in America in 1807. These steamships operated on the paddle wheel principle and were vulnerable. After that, the wheel got rid of and classic steamships appeared. Russia, the last of the world powers, began to use steam engines in shipbuilding. The first civilian steamship was built in 1817, and the first military steamship, Hercules, was launched in 1832.

Along with the development of steamships, ship cannons also developed. At the same time as the development of steamships, “bomb guns” appeared. They were developed by the French artilleryman Henri-Joseph Pecsant. The use was based on the principle of land artillery. It was based on the bomb principle. First, the shell made a hole in the wood of the ship, and then the bomb exploded, causing the main damage. In 1824, a unique event was achieved - a two-deck battleship was scuttled with two shots!

« Everyone’s life belongs to the Fatherland, and it is not daring, but only true courage that benefits him».
Admiral P. Nakhimov

The Sinop naval battle took place on November 18 (30), 1853 between the Russian squadron under the command of Admiral P.S. Nakhimov and the Turkish squadron under the command of Osman Pasha, during the Crimean War of 1853 - 1856. The battle took place in the harbor of the city of Sinop. The battle was won by the Russian squadron. This was the last major battle of the era of sailing fleet

Crimean War 1853–1856 entered Russian history as a symbol of one of the most severe defeats, but at the same time it gave the clearest examples of the unprecedented courage that was shown by Russian soldiers and sailors. And this war began with one of the most outstanding victories of the Russian fleet. This was the defeat of the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop. The large Turkish fleet was defeated in a few hours. However, this same battle served as a reason for Great Britain and France to declare war on Russia and turned the Crimean War into one of the most difficult tests for the people and government.

Background

Even on the eve of the war with Turkey, Vice Admiral F.S. Nakhimov with a squadron, which included the 84-gun battleships Empress Maria, Chesma and Rostislav, was sent by Prince Menshikov to cruise to the shores of Anatolia. The reason for this was information that the Turks in Sinop were preparing forces for a landing at Sukhum and Poti. And in fact, approaching Sinop, Nakhimov saw in the bay a large detachment of Turkish ships under the protection of six coastal batteries. Then he decided to closely blockade the port so that later, upon the arrival of reinforcements from Sevastopol, he would attack the enemy fleet. 1853, November 16 - the squadron of Rear Admiral F.M. joined Nakhimov’s ships. Novosilsky - 120-gun battleships "Paris", "Grand Duke Constantine" and "Three Saints", as well as frigates "Kahul" and "Kulevchi".

Squadron commanders: 1) P.S. Nakhimov; 2) Osman Pasha

Battle plan

Admiral Nakhimov decided to attack the enemy fleet in two columns: in the first, closest to the Turks, Nakhimov’s ships, in the second, Novosilsky’s. The frigates needed to observe the Turkish steamers under sail in order to prevent the possibility of their breakthrough. They decided to spare the consular houses and the city in general, if possible, concentrating artillery fire only on ships and batteries. For the first time it was planned to use 68-pound bomb guns.

Progress of the battle

The Battle of Sinop began on November 18, 1853 at 12:30 p.m. and lasted until 5:00 p.m. First, the Turkish naval artillery and coastal batteries subjected the attacking Russian squadron, which was entering the Sinop roadstead, to fierce fire. The enemy fired from a fairly close range, but Nakhimov’s ships responded to the heavy enemy fire only by occupying advantageous positions. It was then that the complete superiority of Russian artillery became clear.

The Turks fired mainly at the spars and sails, thereby trying to hamper the advance of Russian ships to the roadstead and force Nakhimov to abandon the attack.

The battleship "Empress Maria" was bombarded with shells, most of its spars and standing rigging were broken, and only one shroud remained intact at the mainmast. But the Russian flagship moved forward and, acting with battle fire on the Turkish ships, dropped anchor against the enemy flagship 44-gun frigate Auni-Allah. After a half-hour battle, "Auni-Allah", unable to withstand the crushing fire of Russian cannons, jumped ashore. Then the Russian battleship turned its fire on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also washed ashore. After which, the actions of the flagship "Empress Maria" focused on the enemy coastal 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 blown up 20 minutes later, showering debris and the bodies of killed Turks on battery No. 4, which then almost ceased to function; the second was thrown ashore by the wind when its anchor chain was broken by a cannonball.

The battleship "Chesma" destroyed batteries No. 3 and No. 4 with the fire of its guns. The battleship "Paris", while at anchor, opened battle fire on battery No. 5, the corvette "Guli-Sefid" with twenty-two guns and the 56-gun frigate " Damiad." Then, having blown up the corvette and thrown the frigate ashore, he began to hit the 64-gun frigate Nizamiye, whose foremasts and mizzen masts were shot down by bomb fire, and the ship itself drifted to the shore, where it soon caught fire. Then "Paris" again began to fire at battery No. 5.

The battleship "Three Saints" entered into battle with the frigates "Kaidi-Zefer" and "Nizamiye". The first enemy shots broke its spring, and the ship, turning into the wind, was subjected to well-aimed longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, while its mast was badly damaged. But, turning the stern again, he very successfully began to act on the Kaidi-Zefer and other Turkish ships, forcing them to retreat to the shore. The battleship "Rostislav", covering the "Three Saints", concentrated fire on battery No. 6 and on the 24-gun corvette "Feize-Meabud" and was able to throw 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 "Khersones" and "Crimea". These ships immediately entered into battle, which, however, was already approaching its end, because the Turkish forces were very weakened. Batteries No. 5 and No. 6 still fired at the Russian ships until 16 hours, but Paris and Rostislav were able to destroy 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.

At about 2 p.m., the Turkish 22-gun steamer Taif, on which Mushaver Pasha was, was able to escape from the line of Turkish ships, which were suffering a severe defeat, and fled. Moreover, of the entire Turkish squadron, only this ship had two ten-inch bomb guns. Taking advantage of the advantage in speed, the Taif was able to escape from the Russian ships and report to Istanbul about the complete destruction of the Turkish squadron.

Losses of the parties

In the Battle of Sinop, the Turks lost 15 of 16 ships and more than 3,000 people killed and wounded out of 4,500 who took part in the battle. About 200 people were taken prisoner, including the commander of the Turkish fleet, Osman Pasha, who was wounded in the leg, and the commanders of two ships. Russian losses amounted to 37 people killed and 233 wounded, 13 guns on the ships were hit and disabled, and there was serious damage to the hull, rigging and sails.

Results

The defeat of the Turkish squadron in the Battle of Sinop significantly weakened the Turkish naval forces in the Black Sea, dominance of which completely passed to the Russians. Plans for a Turkish landing on the Caucasus coast were also thwarted. This battle, moreover, became the last major battle in history of the era of the sailing fleet. The time had come for steam ships. However, this same outstanding victory caused extreme discontent in England, which was frightened by such significant successes of the Russian fleet. The result of this was the soon formed alliance against Russia of two great European powers - England and France. The war, which began as a Russian-Turkish war, at the beginning of 1854 turned into a fierce Crimean War.

After this battle, the head of the 5th Fleet Division P.S. Nakhimov was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, but this time Menshikov refused to present him to the rank of admiral, because the direct consequence of the Sinop victory was to be the intervention of the Allied forces in the war . And Nakhimov himself said: “The British will see that we are really dangerous to them at sea, and believe me, they will use every effort to destroy the Black Sea Fleet.” Later, Nakhimov would be awarded the rank of admiral. The captain of the battleship "Paris" V.I. Istomin was promoted to rear admiral.

The fears of the leadership of the Black Sea Fleet came true: the destruction of part of the city of Sinop actually served as a reason for war. In September 1854, a huge allied Anglo-French army landed in the Crimea to destroy the fleet and its base - the city of Sevastopol.

“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 Bosphorus 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 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.

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 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 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 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 also 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, “Chesma” stopped firing at the batteries and concentrated all 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 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 devoted 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, the 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 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 “excellence”.

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.” IN Western Europe raising a wave of Russophobia. 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 enter the 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 business. 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. The order was received by officers of the Navy for outstanding achievements in the development, conduct and support of naval operations, as a result of which the offensive the enemy or active fleet operations are ensured, significant damage is inflicted on the enemy and friendly forces are 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) - celebrated in accordance with the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 “On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia.”

Victory of the Russian squadron under the command of P.S. Nakhimov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Sinop on November 18 (30), 1853

Incited by England and France, Turkey opened military operations against Russia in 1853, marking the beginning of the Crimean War of 1853-1856. In November 1853, a Turkish squadron under the command of Osman Pasha left Istanbul and embarked on a roadstead in Sinop, preparing for a landing in the area of ​​Sukhum-Kale (Sukhumi) and Poti. It consisted of 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, 2 steam frigates, 2 brigs and 2 military transports, for a total of 510 guns and was protected by coastal batteries (38 guns).

The Russian squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimova, having learned about the location of the Turks, blocked their squadron from the sea. It consisted of 6 battleships and 2 frigates (a total of 720 guns, including 76 “bomb” guns, i.e. firing explosive shells. Since the Turkish squadron on the high seas could be reinforced by ships of the Anglo-French fleet stationed in Beshik-Kertez Bay , in the Dardanelles Strait, Nakhimov decided to attack and defeat it directly at the base. His plan was to quickly (in a two-wake column) bring his ships into the Sinop roadstead, anchor them and decisively attack the enemy from a short distance (1-). 2 cables; cables - one tenth of a nautical mile, approximately 185.2 meters).

The Sinop naval battle began on November 18 (30), 1853 at 12:30 p.m. and lasted until 5:00 p.m. The first to open fire on the Russian squadron entering the Sinop roadstead were Turkish ships and coastal batteries. The Russian ships, having taken advantageous positions and taking advantage of their superiority in artillery, returned fire. Half an hour later, the Turkish flagship Avni-Allah and the frigate Fazli-Allah, engulfed in flames, ran aground, then other Turkish ships were set on fire or damaged, and Turkish coastal batteries were suppressed or destroyed. In this battle, the Turks lost 15 of 16 ships and over 3 thousand people killed and wounded. About 200 people were taken prisoner, including Osman Pasha himself and the commanders of three ships. The losses of the Russian squadron amounted to 37 people killed and 235 wounded, some ships were damaged.

The defeat of the Turkish squadron in the Battle of Sinop significantly weakened Turkey's naval forces and thwarted its plans to land its troops on the Caucasus coast. The Sinop naval battle was the last major battle in history of the era of the sailing fleet. Sailing ships began to be replaced by ships with steam engines.

In the Battle of Sinop, the naval leadership talent of the outstanding Russian naval commander Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov clearly manifested itself. This is evidenced by the decisive actions of his squadron in destroying the enemy fleet in his base, the skillful deployment of ships and their use of “bomb” guns. The high moral and combat qualities of Russian sailors and the skillful management of combat operations by ship commanders are also indicative. The greater efficiency of "bomb" guns subsequently accelerated the transition to the creation of an armored fleet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summing up, Nakhimov wrote in an order dated November 23, 1853: “The extermination of the Turkish fleet in Sinop by a squadron under my command cannot but leave a glorious page in the history of the Black Sea Fleet. I express my sincere gratitude to the second flagship as my main assistant and who, walking at the forefront of his column, so fearlessly led it into battle. To the gentlemen commanders of ships and frigates for the cool and precise ordering of their ships according to this disposition during strong enemy fire, as well as for their unshakable courage in continuing the work itself, I express gratitude to the officers for the undaunted and precise execution of their duty, I thank the teams who fought like lions."

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

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

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

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

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