The naval
Battle of Sinop (or
Sinope) took place on 30 November 1853 at
SinopSinop can refer to:*Sinop, Turkey, a city near the Black Sea in Turkey, and the battle that took place there.*Sinop Province, the province in Turkey of which the above city is the capital*Sinop, Mato Grosso, a city in Mato Grosso state, Brazil...
, a sea port in northern
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, when Imperial Russian
ships of the lineA ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century, to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
struck and annihilated a patrol force of
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
frigateA frigate is a warship. The term has been used for warships of many sizes and roles over the past few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and manoeuvrability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s anchored in the harbor. It is often considered to be the last major skirmish in the age of sail.
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 Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
for patrol.
The naval
Battle of Sinop (or
Sinope) took place on 30 November 1853 at
SinopSinop can refer to:*Sinop, Turkey, a city near the Black Sea in Turkey, and the battle that took place there.*Sinop Province, the province in Turkey of which the above city is the capital*Sinop, Mato Grosso, a city in Mato Grosso state, Brazil...
, a sea port in northern
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, when Imperial Russian
ships of the lineA ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century, to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
struck and annihilated a patrol force of
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
frigateA frigate is a warship. The term has been used for warships of many sizes and roles over the past few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and manoeuvrability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s anchored in the harbor. It is often considered to be the last major skirmish in the age of sail.
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 Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
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
BritishGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
ambassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents their country. They are usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of their country....
in
IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
, Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, had objected to this plan, and only frigates were sent.
Action
The Russians, led by admiral
Pavel NakhimovPavel Stepanovich Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov ' onMouseout='HidePop("1180")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Harbor">harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. Harbors can be man-made or natural. A man-made harbor will have sea walls or breakwaters and may require dredging. A natural harbor is surrounded on most sides by land.Harbors and ports are often...
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
IstanbulIstanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...
where she arrived on 2 December.
Conclusion
This attack provided
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927...
with the justification for
declaring war on RussiaThe Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire on one side and an alliance of the British Empire, France, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia on the other. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
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:
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
Sail 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
Sail corvettes
- Nejm Fishan 24 guns
- Feyz Mabud 24 guns - Thrown on shore
- Kel Safid 22 guns - Exploded
External links