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Battle of Kerch Strait

 

 
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Battle of Kerch Strait
 
 
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The naval Battle of Kerch Strait took place on July 19 1790 near Kerch
Kerch

Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, is an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine. The name comes from Old East Slavic ??????? which means throat, alluding to a narrow strait in front of the town ....
, Crimea
Crimea

Crimea or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name....
, and was a slight victory for Imperial Russia over the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
 during the Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792.

The Russian fleet, under Ushakov
Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov

Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov was the most illustrious Russian naval commander and admiral of the 18th century....
, sailed from Sevastopol
Sevastopol

Sevastopol is a port in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . The city, formerly the home of the Soviet Union Black Sea Fleet, is now a Ukrainian naval base mutually used by the Ukrainian Navy and Russian Navy....
 on 13 July 1790 for the southern Crimea, after hearing a report that the Turkish fleet had been sighted there. On 19 July it anchored at the mouth of the Kerch Strait and sent privateers out in search of the Turks.






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The naval Battle of Kerch Strait took place on July 19 1790 near Kerch
Kerch

Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, is an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine. The name comes from Old East Slavic ??????? which means throat, alluding to a narrow strait in front of the town ....
, Crimea
Crimea

Crimea or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an autonomous republic of Ukraine located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name....
, and was a slight victory for Imperial Russia over the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299?1923. It was Treaty of Lausanne by the Republic of Turkey, which was officially proclaimed on October 29, 1923....
 during the Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792.

The Russian fleet, under Ushakov
Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov

Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov was the most illustrious Russian naval commander and admiral of the 18th century....
, sailed from Sevastopol
Sevastopol

Sevastopol is a port in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . The city, formerly the home of the Soviet Union Black Sea Fleet, is now a Ukrainian naval base mutually used by the Ukrainian Navy and Russian Navy....
 on 13 July 1790 for the southern Crimea, after hearing a report that the Turkish fleet had been sighted there. On 19 July it anchored at the mouth of the Kerch Strait and sent privateers out in search of the Turks. At 10 am they reported a sighting and 30 minutes later the Turkish fleet came into view from the east. With the wind from the ENE, Ushakov formed a line on the port tack (ie. south-east). The Turks turned from their group formation and formed a parallel line to the east of the Russian line. Seeing that the Turks' battle-line contained just their battleships, Ushakov sent 6 frigates to form a second line to leeward of the main line, and between about 12pm and 3pm, 3 hours of indecisive longish-range fighting followed, but then the wind changed direction to NNE and the Russians luffed, turning toward the Turkish line. The Turks reversed course, 2 of their ships colliding as they did so, because some ships turned left and others turned right. As the Russians steered toward the tail-end of the Turks line, and with the wind from the north, the Turkish admiral steered away, to the SW. At about 7pm firing ceased. The Russians followed all night, but by morning, the faster ships of the Turks were out of sight. Russian casualties were 29 killed and 68 wounded, with very little damage to ships. The Russian victory prevented Turkey from achieving its goal in landing an army in Crimea.

Ships involved:

Russia (Ushakov)

Rozhdestvo Christovo 84 (flag)
Maria Magdalina 66
Slava Ekateriny 66
Sv. Pavel 66
Sv. Vladimir 66
Sv. Aleksandr Nevskii 50
Sv. Andrei Pervozvannyi 50
Sv. Georgii Pobyedonosets 50
Ioann Bogoslov 46
Sv. Petr Apostol 46
Fanagoria 40
Kinburn 40
Legkii 40
Perun 40
Stryela 40
Taganrog 40
Sv. Ieronim (bomb)
2 fireships
13 privateers
Polotsk

Turkey

? (2nd flag) 74
Melike Bahri 66
8 other battleships
8 frigates
36 small craft