- Battle of Kinburn (1787)
The Battle of Kinburn was fought on
1 October ,1787 as part of theRusso-Turkish War, 1787-1792 .A weak
fortress , Kinburn was located oppositeOchakov on asand bank forming a part of theDnieper river delta . It covered approaches to theKherson fleet base . Reason for attack on Kinburn was to deprive the enemy of a base for thesiege of Ochakov and Kherson fleet base.Suvorov commanding the Russiangarrison had 19 bronze and 300 ironartillery pieces in the fortress, weak in power and range, 1,500 infantry in Kinburne and 2,500 infantry, 28 regimental and 10 field guns, and Cossack cavalry within 30verst s from the fortress.The Ottomans had three 60 gun
ships of the line , four 34 gunfrigates , fourbomb vessels (floating batteries ), and 14gunboats with 4 guns each. Altogether, about 400 guns. The Ottoman troops were carried by 23 transport vessels. During September, the Ottoman fleet twice carried out ranging fire of the fleet against the coast, trying to locate position of the Russian gun emplacements. During onebombardment , a Russiangalley "Desna" which was part of a force of two frigates and four galleys (themselves a part ofAdmiral Mordvinov 'sflotilla ), intervened on the initiative of its Maltese captain, and drove off the Ottoman gunboats. On the 29 and 30 September bombardment of Kinburn was conducted from the Ottoman ships again. On 1 October 1787 at 9 in the morning anamphibious landing of 6,000 troops was conducted on two separate sites (5,300 on the bank's 'tongue' itself, and the rest 10-15 versts away at a village of Bienka), with thefleet supporting the landing with fire. Thepasha of Ochakov ordered the ships to leave after the landing so that the amphibious landing force would not contemplatewithdrawal . The landing force begun to dig a total of 15trenches , in the attempt to move closer to Kinburn.Suvorov called for
reinforcement (2,500 infantry and Cossacks) and waited, while being occupied with public prayer in the church (Celebration of the Covering), receivingdispatches andmessages in the church.At midday the Turks approached to within 200 paces of the fortress. Suvorov began the first
counterattack with 1,500 soldiers of the Orlovinfantry and Schlisselburggrenadier regiments. Those attacking troops took 10 of the 15 trenches, but underflank fire of the Ottoman fleet they were forced to retreat to the fortress. Suvorov himself was wounded in the side and left hand, and was saved only through the courage of Stepan Novikov, a grenadier of the Schlisselburg grenadier regiment.At 16.00 hours Russian reinforcements approached and Suvorov repeated his attack, after releasingCossack s to attack around the leftflank of the enemy over theshoals and into their rear. This attack was successful, and Turks were forced out from the trenches and forced against the coast, forcing the fleet tocease fire in order not to hit its own troops. Suvorov had two horses shot under him. Theregimental guns were able to firecanister atpoint blank range causing fearful carnage among the Turks.At night 600 Turk survivors of the landing returned onboard the ships by
rowed boats . Several hundred hid in the reeds, and were attacked by Cossacks on the following morning. Russian losses were 2 officers and 136 others killed and 17 officers and 300 others wounded, and those of the Turk - about 4000, including two French officers dressed as Turks which were sent to Siberia.In Suvorov's report the Schlisselburg regiment is particularly noted for
bravery .For the Kinburn victoryCatherine the Great awarded Suvorov with theOrder of St.Andrew and the highest praise, where she wrote: “You deserved it by faith and by faithfulness".References
* Широкорад А.Б. Русско-Турецкие войны (под общ. ред Тараса А.Е.) Minsk: Harvest, 2000.
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