Battle of Cape Kaliakra

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Cape Kaliakra
partof=the Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792


caption=
date=August 11, 1791
place=Cape Kaliakra off the coast of northern Bulgaria in the Black Sea
result=Inconclusive Russian victory
combatant1=flag|Russian Empire
combatant2=flag|Ottoman Empire|1453/Algeria
commander1=Admiral Fyodor Ushakov
commander2=Hussein Pasha,
Said Ali
strength1=15 battleships
2 frigates
strength2=18 battleships
17 frigates
casualties1=17 killed and 28 wounded, and 1 ship damaged
casualties2=Unknown

The Battle of Cape Kaliakra was the last naval battle of the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792. It took place on 11 August 1791 off the coast of northern Bulgaria in the Black Sea. Neither side lost a ship, but the Ottomans retreated to Istanbul afterwards.

The Russian fleet under Fyodor Ushakov of 15 battleships and 2 frigates (990 guns) and some small craft sailed from Sevastopol on 8 August, and at midday on August 11 encountered the Ottoman-Algerian fleet under Hussein Pasha of 18 battleships and 17 frigates (1,500–1,600 guns) and some smaller craft at anchor just south of Cape Kaliakra. Ushakov sailed, in 3 columns, from the north-east, between the Ottomans and the cape, despite the presence on the cape of several guns. Said Ali, the commander of the Algerian ships, weighed anchor and sailed east, followed by Hussein Pasha with the 18 battleships. The Russians then turned around south to a parallel east-south-east course and formed up mostly into 1 line, with Ushakov in 3rd position and one ship out of line on the off-battle side. Said Ali, leading the line, turned north to try to double the Russian van, but Ushakov sailed out of the line and attacked him, as the rest of the Russian fleet approached. This was at 4.45 p.m.. Gradually the Turks turned to the south and when darkness put an end to fighting at 8.30 p.m. they were in full retreat to Istanbul. Russian casualties were 17 killed and 28 wounded, and "Sv. Aleksandr Nevskii" was damaged.

Ships involved:

Russia (Ushakov)

"Rozhdestvo Christovo" 84 (flag)
"Ioann Predtecha" 74
"Maria Magdalina" 66
"Preobrazhenie Gospodne" 66
"Sv. Pavel" 66
"Sv. Vladimir" 66
"Leontii Mutchenik" 62
"Sv. Aleksandr Nevskii" 50
"Sv. Andrei Pervozvannyi" 50
"Sv. Nikolai" 50
"Feodor Stratilat" 46
"Ioann Bogoslov" 46
"Navarchia Vosnesenie Gospodne" 46
"Sv. Petr Apostol" 46
"Tsar Konstantin" 46
"Fanagoria" 40
"Makropolea Sv. Mark Evangelist" 36
"Rozhdestvo Christovo" (bomb)
"Sv. Ieronim" (bomb)
"?" (fireship)
"?" (repeater ship)
"Panagia Apotumengana" (privateer) 14
16 privateers

=Ottoman Turkey/Algeria/Tripoli (Hussein Pasha)=

18 battleships
10 large frigates
7 smaller frigates
43 small

References

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