Battle of Sinop

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Sinop
partof=the Crimean War


caption="The Battle of Sinop", by A. Bogolyubov.
date=30 November 1853
place=Sinop, northern Turkey
casus=
territory=
result=Russian victory
combatant1=flagicon|RussiaRussian Empire
combatant2=flagicon|TurkeyOttoman Empire
commander1=flagicon|RussiaPavel Nakhimov
commander2=flagicon|TurkeyOsman Pasha
strength1=6 battleships
2 frigates
3 steamers
strength2=7 frigates
5 corvettes
casualties1=none
casualties2=7 frigates sunk
4 corvettes sunkThe naval Battle of Sinop (or Sinope) took place on 30 November 1853 at Sinop, a sea port in northern Turkey, when Imperial Russian battleships struck and annihilated a patrol force of Ottoman frigates anchored in the harbor. It is often considered to be the last major skirmish of the age of sailFact|date=September 2008.

Background

Fighting at sea between Imperial Russia and the Ottoman Empire had been going on for weeks, and the Ottomans had sent several squadrons into the Black Sea for patrol. One of these, under Osman Pasha, ended up at Sinope, joining the frigate "Kaid Zafer" which had been part of an earlier patrol, and being joined by a steam frigate (probably "Taif") from a smaller squadron. The Ottomans had wanted to send ships of the line to Sinope, but the British ambassador in Istanbul, Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, had objected to this plan, and only frigates were sent.

Action

The Russians, led by admiral Pavel Nakhimov, sailed into Sinop harbor in two lines of three battleships each and anchored alongside the Ottoman line. The battle itself took about an hour. The Russians used destructive Paixhans shell guns to destroy the Turkish fleet, several ships were blown up after lucky hits and others had been thrown on shore as a result of strong wind and heavy fire. Coastal batteries were also destroyed by Russian battleships.

Only "Taif", pursued by the Russian steamers, managed to escape to Istanbul where she arrived on 2 December.

Conclusion

This attack provided France and the United Kingdom with the justification for declaring war on Russia in early 1854 in support of the Ottoman Empire.

Order of battle

Below is a listing of the fleets that participated in the Battle of Sinop on 30 November, 1853:

Russian Empire

Battleships

*"Veliky Knyaz Konstantin" 120 guns
*"Tri Sviatitelia" 120 guns
*"Parizh" 120 guns (2nd flag)
*"Imperatriitsa Maria" 84 guns (flag)
*"Chesma" 84 guns
*"Rostislav" 84 guns

Frigates

*"Kulevtcha" 54 guns
*"Kagul" 44 guns

teamers

*"Odessa" 4 guns
*"Krym" 4 guns
*"Khersones" 4 guns

Ottoman Empire

ail frigates

*"Avni Illah" 44 guns - Thrown on shore
*"Fazl Illah" 44 guns (formerly Russian "Rafail", captured 1829) - Engulfed in flames, thrown on shore
*"Nizamieh" 62 guns - Thrown on shore after lost of two masts
*"Nessin Zafer" 60 guns - Thrown on shore after damage of anchor chain
*"Navek Bahri" 58 guns - Exploded
*"Damiat" 56 guns (Egyptian) - Thrown on shore
*"Kaid Zafer" 54 guns - Thrown on shore

ail corvettes

*"Nejm Fishan" 24 guns
*"Feyz Mabud" 24 guns - Thrown on shore
*"Kel Safid" 22 guns - Exploded

team frigates/corvettes

*"Taif" 12 guns - Escaped to Istanbul
*"Erkelye" 10 guns

References

* "Naval wars in the Levant 1559–1853" (1952) - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2

External links

* [http://www.sinoppostasi.com/component/option,com_datsogallery/Itemid,42/ Sinop Pictures]