Sinop battle participants. Battle of Sinop

Sinop sea battle

The naval battle at Sinop took place at the very beginning of the Crimean War. Beginning in October 1853 between Russia and Turkey, it soon developed into an armed clash between Russia and a strong coalition of Turkey, England, France and Sardinia. This was the last major battle of sailing ships and the first to use bombs (i.e. explosive shells).

On November 18 (30), 1853, the squadron of Vice-Admiral PS Nakhimov (6 battleships and 2 frigates) in the Sinop Bay struck a preemptive strike against the enemy, unexpectedly attacking the Turkish fleet, which consisted of 16 ships. The color of the Turkish fleet (7 frigates, 3 corvettes and 1 steamer) was burned, the coastal batteries were destroyed. The Turks lost in killed and wounded about 4 thousand people. About 200 more were taken prisoner. Nakhimov's squadron did not lose a single ship. The brilliant victory of the Russian fleet deprived the Turks of domination in the Black Sea, did not allow them to land troops on the coast of the Caucasus.

The Sinop battle clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of the advanced system of training and education of the Black Sea warriors. The high combat skill shown by the sailors was achieved by persistent study, training, campaigns, mastering all the subtleties of naval affairs.

The Battle of Sinop on September 30 (November 16), 1853 went down in world history as the last battle of sailing ships in history. This battle took place during the next Russian-Turkish war of 1853-1856.

Reasons for the battle

The Battle of Sinop was the first battle of the Crimean War to attract public attention. The keys were the reason for the war. The Turkish sultan took the keys of the Bethlehem temple from the Orthodox clergy and gave them to the Catholics. It happened in 1851 at the request of France. Then Nicholas I ordered the introduction of Russian troops into the vassals of the Port of the principality of Moldavia and Wallachia. In response, the Turkish sultan declared war on Russia.

The creditors of the Ottoman Empire, England and France, presented Russia with an ultimatum: as long as Russia defends itself, England and France will remain neutral. As soon as Russia invades the territory of the Ottoman Empire itself, England and France will also go to war. Since the announcement of the ultimatum, the Russian fleet has sought to dominate neutral waters.

The sailing and semi-sailing fleet of Russia is dispersed throughout the entire Black Sea. During this time, only one clash occurred between the Russian and Turkish fleets. At the same time, hostilities began in the Danube region and in the Caucasus. At the beginning of the war, the forces of the Ottoman Empire won a number of victories: at Oltenitsa, at Calafate and at Silistra. And at that moment, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet decided to attack the main Turkish port, from where ships with reinforcements were leaving for the Caucasus.

The course of the battle

Vice-Admiral Nakhimov (84-gun battleships "Empress Maria", "Chesma" and "Rostislav") was sent by Prince Menshikov to cruise to the shores of Anatolia. There was information that the Turks in Sinop were preparing forces for the landing at Sukhum and Poti.

Approaching Sinop, Nakhimov saw a detachment of Turkish ships in the bay under the protection of 6 coastal batteries and decided to closely block the port in order to attack the enemy with the arrival of reinforcements from Sevastopol.

On November 16 (28), 1853, the squadron of Rear Admiral F.M. Novosilsky (120-gun battleships Paris, Grand Duke Constantine and Three Saints, frigates Cahul and Kulevchi) joined Nakhimov's detachment. The Turks could be reinforced by the allied Anglo-French fleet located in the Beshik-Kertez Bay (Dardanelles Strait).

It was decided to attack in 2 columns: in the 1st, closest to the enemy - the ships of the Nakhimov detachment, in the 2nd - Novosilsky, the frigates were supposed to watch the enemy ships under sail; It was decided to spare the consular houses and the city in general, if possible, hitting only ships and batteries. For the first time, it was intended to use 68-pound bombardments.

On the morning of November 18 (November 30) it was raining with a gusty wind from OSO, the most unfavorable for the capture of Turkish ships (they could easily be washed ashore).

At 9.30 am, keeping rowing ships at the sides of the ships, the squadron headed for the roadstead. In the depths of the bay, 7 Turkish frigates and 3 corvettes were positioned moon-like under the cover of 4 batteries (one - 8-gun, 3 - 6 guns each); behind the battle line were 2 steamers and 2 transport ships.

At 12.30 o'clock in the afternoon on the 1st round from the 44-gun frigate "Aunni-Allah" fire was opened from all Turkish ships and batteries. The battleship "Empress Maria" was bombarded with shells, most of its spars and standing rigging were destroyed, at the mainmast only one cable remained intact. However, the ship went forward non-stop and, acting with battle fire at the enemy ships, anchored against the frigate "Aunni-Allah"; the latter, unable to withstand the half-hour shelling, threw himself ashore. Then the Russian flagship turned its fire exclusively on the 44-gun frigate Fazli-Allah, which soon caught fire and also washed ashore. After this, the actions of the Empress Maria were concentrated on battery No. 5.

The battleship Grand Duke Constantine, anchored, opened heavy fire on battery No. 4 and the 60-gun frigates Navek-Bahri and Nesimi-Zefer; the first was detonated 20 minutes after the opening of fire, showered with debris and the bodies of sailors on battery No. 4, which then almost ceased to function; the second was thrown ashore by the wind when its anchor chain was broken.

The battleship Chesma demolished batteries No. 4 and No. 3 with its shots.

The battleship Paris, at anchor, opened battle fire on battery No. 5, the Gyuli-Sefid corvette (22-push) and the frigate Damiad (56-push); then, blowing up the corvette and throwing the frigate ashore, began to hit the frigate Nizamie (64-push), the fore and mizzen masts of which were shot down, and the ship itself drifted to the shore, where it soon caught fire. Then "Paris" again began to fire at battery No. 5.

The battleship "Three Saints" entered the fight with the frigates "Kaidi-Zefer" (54-push.) And "Nizamie"; with the first enemy shots, the spring was interrupted, and the ship, turning in the wind, was subjected to accurate longitudinal fire from battery No. 6, and its spar was badly damaged. Turning the stern again, he very successfully began to operate on the "Kaidi-Zefer" and other ships and forced them to rush to the shore.

The battleship "Rostislav", covering the "Three Saints", concentrated fire on battery No. 6 and on the corvette "Feyze-Meabud" (24-push), and threw the corvette ashore.

At 13.30 the Russian steamship frigate "Odessa" appeared from behind the cape under the flag of Adjutant General Vice-Admiral V. A. Kornilov, accompanied by the steamer frigates "Crimea" and "Chersonesos". These ships immediately took part in the battle, which, however, was already drawing to a close; the forces of the Turks were greatly weakened. Batteries No. 5 and No. 6 continued to harass the Russian ships until 4 o'clock, but Paris and Rostislav soon destroyed them. Meanwhile, the rest of the Turkish ships, lit, apparently by their crews, took off one by one; from this, a fire spread in the city, which there was no one to extinguish.

At about 2 o'clock the Turkish 22-gun steam-frigate "Taif" ("Tayf"), armament 2-10 dm bomb, 4-42 lbs., 16-24 lbs. guns, under the command of Yahya-bey, escaped from the line of Turkish ships, suffering a severe defeat, and fled. Taking advantage of the speed of the Taif, Yahya-bey managed to escape the pursuing Russian ships (the frigates Cahul and Kulevchi, then the steam frigates of the Kornilov detachment) and inform Istanbul about the complete extermination of the Turkish squadron. Captain Yahya Bey, who was awaiting a reward for saving the ship, was dismissed from the service and deprived of his rank for "misbehavior." Sultan Abdul-Majid was very unhappy with the flight of "Taif", saying: "I would prefer that he did not flee, but died in battle, like the others." According to the French officialdom "Le Moniteur", whose correspondent visited the "Taif" immediately after its return to Istanbul, there were 11 killed and 17 wounded on the frigate. The allegations widespread in Russian historiography that the Turkish Admiral Mushaver Pasha and the main adviser to Osman Pasha, the Englishman Adolph Slade, were on the Taif do not correspond to reality.

Among the prisoners were the commander of the Turkish squadron, Vice Admiral Osman Pasha and 2 ship commanders.

At the end of the battle, the ships of the Russian fleet began to repair the damage in the rigging and spars, and on November 20 (December 2) they weighed anchor to sail to Sevastopol in tow. Beyond Cape Sinop, the squadron encountered a large swell from NO, so the steamers were forced to give up tugs. At night, the wind grew stronger, and the ships continued on under sails. On the 22nd (December 4), at about noon, the victorious ships entered the Sevastopol roadstead with general rejoicing.

The broadsword of the commander of the Turkish squadron Osman Pasha, which he gave to the winners

"With the extermination of the Turkish squadron, you have adorned the chronicle of the Russian fleet with a new victory, which will forever remain memorable in maritime history." Emperor Nicholas I “The extermination of the Turkish fleet in Sinop by a squadron consisting of ...

"With the extermination of the Turkish squadron, you have adorned the chronicle of the Russian fleet with a new victory, which will forever remain memorable in maritime history."

Emperor Nicholas I

"The extermination of the Turkish fleet in Sinop by a squadron under my command cannot but leave a glorious page in the history of the Black Sea Fleet."

P. S. Nakhimov

December 1 is the Day of Russian Military Glory. This is the day of the victory of the Russian squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov over the Turkish squadron at Cape Sinop.

The battle took place in the harbor of Sinop on the Black Sea coast of Turkey on November 18 (30), 1853. The Turkish squadron was defeated within a few hours. The Battle of Cape Sinop was one of the major battles of the Crimean (Eastern) War, which began as a conflict between Russia and Turkey. In addition, it went down in history as the last major battle of the sailing fleets. Russia received a serious advantage over the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire and domination in the Black Sea (before the intervention of the great Western powers).

This naval battle became an example of the brilliant training of the Black Sea Fleet, led by one of the best representatives of the school of Russian military art. Sinop amazed all of Europe with the perfection of the Russian fleet, fully justified the many years of persistent educational work of admirals Lazarev and Nakhimov.

A.P. Bogolyubov. Extermination of the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop

Background

In 1853, another war between Russia and Turkey began. It led to a global conflict involving the world's leading powers. An Anglo-French squadron entered the Dardanelles. Fronts were opened on the Danube and in the Transcaucasus. Petersburg, which counted on a quick victory over the Porta, a decisive advancement of Russian interests in the Balkans and a successful solution to the problem of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, received the threat of war with the great powers, with vague prospects. There was a threat that the Ottomans, followed by the British and French, would be able to provide effective assistance to the Shamil highlanders. This led to a new large-scale war in the Caucasus and a serious threat to Russia from the southern direction.

In the Caucasus, Russia did not have enough troops to simultaneously contain the offensive of the Turkish army and fight the mountaineers. In addition, the Turkish squadron supplied the troops on the Caucasian coast with weapons and ammunition. Therefore, the Black Sea Fleet received two main tasks:

1. to hastily transport reinforcements from Crimea to the Caucasus;
2. strike at the enemy's sea lanes. Prevent the Ottomans from landing a large landing on the eastern coast of the Black Sea in the area of ​​Sukhum-Kale (Sukhumi) and Poti to help the mountaineers.

Pavel Stepanovich completed both tasks.

On September 13, in Sevastopol, we received an emergency order to transfer an infantry division with artillery to Anakria (Anaklia). The Black Sea Fleet was restless at that time. There were rumors of an Anglo-French squadron on the side of the Ottomans. Nakhimov immediately took over the operation. In four days he prepared the ships and placed troops on them in perfect order: 16 battalions with two batteries (more than 16 thousand people), and all the necessary weapons and equipment. On September 17, the squadron went to sea and in the morning of September 24 came to Anakria. By the evening, the unloading was completed. The operation was recognized as brilliant, there were only a few patients among the sailors of the bi soldiers.

Having solved the first problem, Pavel Stepanovich proceeded to the second. It was necessary to disrupt the enemy landing operation. A 20 thousand Turkish corps was concentrated in Batumi, which was to be transferred by a large transport flotilla (up to 250 ships). The landing was to be covered by the squadron of Osman Pasha.

At this time, Prince Alexander Menshikov was the commander of the Crimean Army and the Black Sea Fleet. He sent a squadron of Nakhimov and Kornilov to search for the enemy. On November 5 (17), VA Kornilov met the Ottoman 10-gun steamer Pervaz-Bahre, sailing from Sinop. The steam-frigate Vladimir (11 guns) under the flag of the chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet Kornilov attacked the enemy. The commander of the "Vladimir" Lieutenant-Commander Grigory Butakov was in charge of the battle. He used the high maneuverability of his ship and noticed the enemy's weakness - the lack of guns at the stern of the Turkish steamer. Throughout the battle, I tried to keep myself so as not to fall under the fire of the Ottomans. The three-hour battle ended with a Russian victory. This was the first battle of steam ships in history. Then Vladimir Kornilov returned to Sevastopol and ordered Rear Admiral FM Novosilsky to find Nakhimov and reinforce him with the battleships Rostislav and Svyatoslav, and the Aeneas brig. Novosilsky met with Nakhimov and, having fulfilled the order, returned to Sevastopol.

Nakhimov with a detachment from the end of October cruised between Sukhum and part of the Anatolian coast, where Sinop was the main port. The vice admiral, after meeting with Novosiltsev, had five 84-gun ships: "Empress Maria", "Chesma", "Rostislav", "Svyatoslav" and "Brave", as well as the frigate "Kovarna" and the brig "Aeneas". On November 2 (14), Nakhimov issued an order for the squadron, where he notified the commanders that in the event of a meeting with an enemy "superior to us in strength, I will attack him, being absolutely sure that each of us will do his job."

Every day they waited for the appearance of the enemy. In addition, there was an opportunity to meet with British ships. But there was no Ottoman squadron. We met only Novosilsky, who brought two ships, replacing the ones worn by the storm and sent to Sevastopol. On November 8, a fierce storm broke out, and the vice admiral was forced to send 4 more ships for repair. The situation was critical. The strong wind continued after the storm on November 8.

On November 11, Nakhimov approached Sinop and immediately sent a brig with the news that an Ottoman squadron was stationed in the bay. Despite the significant enemy forces, standing under the protection of 6 coastal batteries, Nakhimov decided to blockade the Sinop Bay and wait for reinforcements. He asked Menshikov to send the ships Svyatoslav and Brave, the frigate Kovarna and the steamer Bessarabia, sent for repairs. The admiral also expressed bewilderment why the frigate "Kulevchi", which was idle in Sevastopol, had not been sent to him, and two additional steamers needed for cruising had not been sent. Nakhimov was ready to join the battle if the Turks went for a breakthrough. However, the Turkish command, although at that time had an advantage in forces, did not dare to engage in a general battle or simply go for a breakthrough. When Nakhimov reported that the Ottoman forces in Sinop, according to his observations, were higher than previously assumed, Menshikov sent reinforcements - a squadron of Novosilsky, and then a detachment of Kornilov's steamers.

Fight of the steam-frigate "Vladimir" with the Turkish-Egyptian warship "Pervaz-Bahri" on November 5, 1853. A. P. Bogolyubov

Forces of the parties

Reinforcements arrived on time. On November 16 (28), 1853, Nakhimov's detachment was reinforced by the squadron of Rear Admiral Fyodor Novosilsky: 120-gun battleships Paris, Grand Duke Constantine and Three Saints, frigates Cahul and Kulevchi. As a result, under the command of Nakhimov there were already 6 battleships: 84-cannon Empress Maria, Chesma and Rostislav, 120-cannon Paris, Grand Duke Constantine and Three Saints, 60-cannon frigate Kulevchi "and 44-gun" Cahul ". Nakhimov had 716 guns, from each side the squadron could fire a salvo weighing 378 poods 13 pounds. 76 guns were bombs that fired explosive bombs with great destructive power. Thus, the advantage was on the side of the Russian fleet. In addition, Kornilov was in a hurry to help Nakhimov with three steam frigates.

The Turkish squadron consisted of 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, several auxiliary ships and a detachment of 3 steam frigates. In total, the Turks had 476 naval guns, supported by 44 coastal guns. The Ottoman squadron was led by the Turkish Vice Admiral Osman Pasha. The second flagship was Rear Admiral Hussein Pasha. The squadron had an English advisor, Captain A. Slade. The detachment of steamers was commanded by Vice Admiral Mustafa Pasha. The Turks had their own advantages, the main of which were anchorage in a fortified base and the presence of steamers, while the Russians had only sailing ships.

Admiral Osman Pasha, knowing that the Russian squadron was guarding him at the exit from the bay, sent an alarming message to Istanbul, asked for help, greatly exaggerating the strength of Nakhimov. However, the Turks were late, the message was transmitted to the British on November 17 (29), a day before the attack of the Russian fleet. Even if Lord Stratford-Radcliffe, who at that time was actually in charge of Porta's policy, had ordered the British squadron to go to the aid of Osman Pasha, help would have been late anyway. Moreover, the British ambassador in Istanbul had no right to start a war with the Russian Empire, the admiral could refuse.

Nakhimov's plan

The Russian admiral, as soon as reinforcements arrived, decided not to wait, immediately enter the Sinop Bay and attack the enemy. In essence, Nakhimov took a risk, albeit a well-calculated one. The Ottomans had good naval and coastal guns, and with the appropriate leadership, the Turkish forces could inflict serious damage on the Russian squadron. However, the once formidable Ottoman fleet was in decline, both in terms of combat training and leadership.

The Turkish command itself played up to Nakhimov, placing the ships extremely inconvenient for defense. Firstly, the Ottoman squadron was positioned like a fan, a concave arc. As a result, the ships closed off the firing sector of part of the coastal batteries. Secondly, the ships were located at the very embankment, which made it impossible for them to maneuver and fire with two sides. Thus, the Turkish squadron and coastal batteries could not fully resist the Russian fleet.

Nakhimov's plan was imbued with determination and initiative. The Russian squadron, in the formation of two wake columns (the ships followed one after the other along the course line), received an order to break through to the Sinop roadstead and strike at the enemy ships and batteries. The first column was commanded by Nakhimov. It included the ships "Empress Maria" (flagship), "Grand Duke Constantine" and "Chesma". The second column was led by Novosilsky. It included "Paris" (2nd flagship), "Three Saints" and "Rostislav". The movement in two columns was supposed to reduce the time of passage of ships under the fire of the Turkish squadron and coastal batteries. In addition, it facilitated the deployment of Russian ships in battle formation when anchored. In the rearguard were frigates, which were supposed to stop the enemy's attempts to escape. The targets of all ships were assigned in advance.

At the same time, the ship commanders had a certain independence in the choice of targets, depending on the specific situation, while fulfilling the principle of mutual support. “In conclusion, I will express the idea,” wrote Nakhimov in the order, “that all preliminary instructions under changed circumstances can make it difficult for a commander who knows his business, and therefore I leave everyone to act completely independently at their own discretion, but certainly do their duty.”

Text: Sergey Balakin

162 years ago, on November 30, 1853 (November 18, old style), the famous Sinop battle took place, which is considered one of the largest naval victories in the history of our country. The words of Vice-Admiral Kornilov are widely known, who said about the battle at Sinop: “The battle is glorious, higher than Chesma and Navarin ... Hurray, Nakhimov! Lazarev is happy with his student! " And Emperor Nicholas I honored Vice-Admiral Nakhimov with the Order of St. George of the 2nd degree and wrote in a personal rescript: "With the extermination of the Turkish squadron, you decorated the chronicle of the Russian fleet with a new victory, which will forever remain memorable in maritime history." However, these enthusiastic assessments are dominated by emotion. In reality, the results of the Battle of Sinop are far from unambiguous ...

Historians are aware of two opposing views of the Battle of Sinop. According to one of them, this battle is the greatest and undeniable victory of our fleet. But there is another point of view: they say, Sinop is a skillfully set trap, into which the clumsy "Russian bear" fell, and which predetermined the defeat of Russia in the Crimean War. Let's try to parse the arguments of both sides.

At first glance, everything seems to be obvious. On November 18 (old style), 1853, a Russian squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral Nakhimov, consisting of six battleships and two frigates, entered the Sinop Bay and defeated the Osman Pasha squadron that was stationed there. Of the twelve Turkish warships, eleven were sunk, 2,700 enemy sailors were killed, more than 550 were wounded and 150, including Osman Pasha himself, were captured. Our losses amounted to 38 killed, 232 wounded; all ships, despite the damage received, independently returned to Sevastopol.

Such impressive results are explained, first of all, by the quantitative and qualitative superiority of our fleet over its enemy. For example, in terms of the total weight of the side salvo, the Russian squadron surpassed the Turkish one by two and a half times. Moreover, the Russian ships were armed with 76 heavy 68-pound guns that fired explosive bombs, lethal for wooden ships. If, in addition, we add that the training of personnel in the Turkish fleet was extremely poor, then Admiral Nakhimov could only use all his advantages competently. Which he did, and he did it brilliantly. Figuratively speaking, the Battle of Sinop put an end to the centuries-old history of sailing fleets and anticipated the onset of a new era - the era of armor and steam.

It is not surprising that a triumphant meeting awaited Nakhimov in Sevastopol. At that moment, few people thought about how this victory would turn out for Russia ...

On the eve of the Crimean War, the weakened Ottoman Empire found itself in complete dependence on the Western powers - first of all, on England. The aggravated relations between St. Petersburg and Constantinople led to the fact that Nicholas I ordered to send troops to Bessarabia and Wallachia. These principalities formally remained vassals of Turkey, and Sultan Abdul-Majid on October 4, 1853 declared war on Russia. In doing so, he counted on the military assistance promised by London and Paris. It should be borne in mind that the British were quite satisfied with the existing state of the Ottoman Empire, but they tried to prevent the strengthening of Russia. Therefore, British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston openly declared that in the event of an attack by the Russian fleet on Turkish ports, Britain and France would use force against the "aggressor". But in St. Petersburg they clearly underestimated the seriousness of this threat.

The decision to attack the Turkish squadron in Sinop was extremely risky. After all, it gave the West an excellent excuse to "teach a lesson" to the uncompromising Russian emperor, whose foreign policy did not like London very much. In general, the thought involuntarily arises that the Sinop massacre was planned in advance and not without the participation of British advisers. After all, the most combat-ready Turkish ships, including all battleships, and almost all experienced sailors remained in the Bosphorus. A squadron of weak and outdated ships was sent to Sinop, moreover, manned by inexperienced recruits - yesterday's peasants. The presence of ground forces on the Osman Pasha squadron, allegedly transported to the Caucasus (this was repeatedly mentioned in various publications), is not confirmed by documents. That is, everything speaks for the fact that the squadron destroyed in Sinope is just a bait, deliberately sent for slaughter ...

Well, what happened next is well known. A coalition of Western states (Great Britain, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia) declare war on Russia. The Anglo-French fleet enters the Black Sea, troops land in Balaklava. Then - the battle on the Alma, the siege of Sevastopol, the self-flooding of the Black Sea Fleet, the death of admirals Nakhimov, Kornilov, Istomin ... The Paris Congress, at which Russia admitted defeat ... By the way, the Slavic Legion under the command of Mikhail Tchaikovsky, or Sadik Pasha, as the Turks called him ...

So what is the Battle of Sinop? In our opinion, his most balanced assessment looks like this: tactically, this is an indisputable military victory, and strategically, a blunder that led to Russia's defeat in the war. However, this was by no means a mistake by the Russian sailors and not by Admiral Nakhimov. This is a blunder of the then Russian politicians and diplomats, who in the area of ​​intrigue were unable to resist their sophisticated colleagues from London and Paris.

We must not forget about one more result of the Battle of Sinop - about the moral effect it produced. The defeat of the Turkish squadron caused an unprecedented rise in morale among Russian soldiers, sailors and officers. Without this, the subsequent defense of Sevastopol would hardly have been so stubborn, and the losses of the attackers were so great.

So the Russian fleet can rightfully be proud of the Sinop victory.

Sinop naval battle, a heroic episode in Russian history. The feat of Russian sailors was glorified by the establishment of the Order of Nakhimov in 1944. In 1952, to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Sinop, the Kalashnikovskaya embankment in Leningrad was renamed the Sinopskaya embankment. The event was marked by the day of military glory on December 1 (Federal Law No. 32-F3 dated March 13, 1995)

The USSR, just like Russia, unequivocally considered this to be a heroic episode in Russian history, but this radically contradicted what the classics of Marxism-Engelsism said about the Sinop battle. The position of those engaged in ideological work was especially ambiguous. For example, military political workers who conducted patriotic propaganda and propaganda of the "only true doctrine", knowing what the founding fathers of the "only true doctrine" said about the exploits of Nakhimov.

Here is what the historian Naida S.F. writes about the course of the battle. Cit. Naida SF, Outstanding Russian naval commander Admiral PS Nakhimov, M. "Knowledge", ser. 1, no. 71, 1952 (electronic text can be found.)

At 0930 hours a signal went off on the flagship: "Prepare for battle and go to the Sinop raid." The squadron quickly weighed anchor and, with raised national flags, rushed to the enemy. On the move, at a signal from Nakhimov, the squadron lined up in two columns. The formation of two columns, established by Nakhimov, was tactically very reasonable. He halved the stay of the squadron under enemy fire when ships entered the Sinop roadstead and accelerated the deployment of the squadron for battle according to the intended disposition. This ensured a quick onslaught on the enemy and less losses from enemy fire. This maneuver was a brilliant success.

In the first column were 3 ships - 84-gun ships "Empress Maria" (flagship), "Chesma" and 120-gun ship "Constantine"; in the second, there were also 3 ships: the 120-gun ship "Paris" (commanded by the 1st rank captain Istomin, the future hero of the defense of Sevastopol), the 120-gun ship "Three Saints" and the 84-gun ship "Rostislav". The frigates "Cahul", which had 44 cannons, and "Kulevchi", which had 52 guns, remained at the direction of Nakhimov to guard the exit from the Sinop Bay in order to prevent the possible escape of Turkish ships during the battle.

At about noon the squadron approached the entrance to the bay. Everyone was waiting for the signal from the flagship. A little time passed, one bottle broke. At this time, the first cannon shot rang out from the Turkish ship, and after it the famous Battle of Sinop began.

Nakhimov's flagship "Empress Maria", firing back from enemy ships, steadily moved forward and gave up anchor only when it reached its goal - the flagship of the Turks "Aunn Allah". He set fire to the enemy's ship and forced it to wash ashore, and then also destroyed the Turkish frigate "Fazli Allah". Despite the fact that in the battle the flagship "Empress Maria" received 60 holes and other damage, he turned to provide assistance to the second column of ships. Nakhimov led the battle in cold blood. The calmness and self-control of the squadron commander gave everyone the confidence of victory.

The ship "Constantine" on the way to the location indicated by the disposition was showered with a hail of cannonballs, 4 kniples and buckshot. However, he stubbornly pushed forward and anchored for battle shortly after the flagship. With the battle fire of the starboard side at the Turkish battery and two frigates, he first blew up one frigate and with the fire of his cannons temporarily silenced the coastal battery, then opened destructive fire on another Turkish frigate and corvette. Soon the frigate and corvette were hit and washed ashore. The ship "Chesma" after the victory over the Turkish frigate aptly smashed the coastal batteries.

The ship "Paris", on which the second flagship, Rear Admiral Novosilskiy, was at anchor, sank three Turkish ships with accurate cannon fire, and then launched a devastating fire on the coastal battery.

The actions of the Paris ship received special approval from Nakhimov. The ship "Three Saints", despite heavy damage, forced the enemy frigate to throw itself ashore with the fire of its cannons and continued to fire until the end of the battle. The ship "Rostislav" sank the corvette with the fire of its cannons and destroyed the battery.

Russian sailors fought the enemy selflessly, with extraordinary stubbornness, extinguished fires, immediately took the place of the killed and wounded. At the height of the battle on "Constantine" the deck was smashed by an exploding bomb and a fire started. The rapidly spreading fire threatened to explode the cruise chamber (the place where the gunpowder is stored). Midshipman Kolokoltsev, disregarding the danger, tightly closing the doors and hatches of the cruise chamber, calmly extinguished the fire and saved the ship from the explosion.

By 5 pm on November 18, 1853, the battle ended with the complete destruction of the Turkish squadron and all the enemy's coastal defenses. Only one enemy steamer - "Taif" under the command of an English officer, using her superiority in speed against the frigates "Cahul" and "Kulevchi", threw the Turks and fled to Constantinople.

In the Battle of Sinop, 13 enemy warships and 4 merchants were destroyed, up to 3 thousand Turks were killed and many were taken prisoner. Among those captured was the head of the Turkish squadron, Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, along with the commanders of some ships.

The Russian squadron did not lose a single ship. Lost in people amounted to: killed 38 people, wounded and shell-shocked 235 people.

In full accordance with this description, the feat of the Russian fleet is approved as, which is awarded, in particular, for "success in the development, conduct and support of operations, combat actions of groupings of forces (troops) of the Navy independently and as part of groupings of troops (forces) , as a result of which the offensive actions of the enemy were successfully repelled and significant losses were inflicted on him "

Naturally, such a devastating victory could not but "please" those who supported Turkey in the war against Russia.

Debates began in the English parliament over the Russian victory in Sinop. The English and French press launched a frantic campaign against Russia, seeking to justify the opening of hostilities against the Russians.

TO fierce campaigns in the English and French press joined the classics of Marxism-Engelsism. The tenth volume of the second edition of "Works" (see text) is the broadcast of this campaign to the American press. This is how Marx says about the battle of Sinop.

At last, the mystery that enveloped the Sinop battle was dispelled. Judging by the published reports on the balance of forces between Russia and Turkey at Sinop, the Russians had 3 more double-decked steam vessels, one three-deck and 680 more guns than the Turkish forces. Thus, the Sinop events did not add anything to the power of Russia and did not subtract anything from the power of Turkey; rather, the opposite was the case. Here we see a fact that has no precedent even in the history of the English fleet: frigates line up with battleships and commanders throw torches into powder magazines, sacrificing themselves on the altar of the fatherland. Turkey's main naval forces remained intact; she did not lose a single ship of the line, not a single steamer. Little of. According to the latest news, one of the best three-deck ships in the Russian fleet, the Rostislav, with 120 guns, was sunk by the Turks. This loss, hitherto hushed up under the plausible pretext that the Rostislav sank not during the battle, but immediately after it, and now openly recognized by the Russians, significantly balances the losses of the Turkish fleet. If the three-deck vessel really sank, then it can be assumed that other Russian ships received very serious damage during the battle and that in the end the victory at Sinop weakened the Russian fleet more than the Turkish one. As soon as the Egyptian Pasha learned about the Sinope disaster, he immediately gave the order to arm 6 frigates, 5 corvettes and 3 brigs in order to compensate for the losses of the material part of the Turkish fleet.
The Egyptian steam frigate Pervaz Bahri, incapacitated and captured after a five-hour battle by the much larger Russian steam frigate Vladimir, was riddled with shells to such an extent that it was barely delivered to Sevastopol, where it immediately sank. It was possible to bring "Pervaz Bahri" into the Sevastopol Bay only thanks to the help of the chief mechanic, the Englishman Bell, to whom Admiral Kornilov promised to immediately grant freedom if he successfully coped with this task. Upon arrival in Sevastopol, Bell was not only not released, but together with his assistants - mechanics and stokers - was taken under strict arrest and put on a meager ration of 3 pence a day, and they were told that they would have to walk 80 miles in inland at this harsh time of the year. Prince Menshikov, who is in command in Sevastopol, received the approval of the tsar and his ministers, who remained deaf to the views of the British consul in Odessa and the British ambassador in St. Petersburg.

Surely someone is lying here. Either the Stalinist historian Naida or Marx. From the description of the battle given by Nayda, it can be determined that there were eight Russian ships participating in the battle, and seventeen Turkish ships were destroyed. Therefore, according to Naida, the preponderance was on the side of the Turks. Marx speaks of superiority the Russians compared to the Turkish forces had 3 more double-deck steam vessels, one three-deck and 680 guns... And the Battle of Sinop according to Marx is not a feat of Russian sailors, but treacherous and cowardly carnage that destroyed the weakest enemy. This is how Marx writes in the article "Western Powers and Turkey"

To the vast array of diplomatic documents already made public was added a note from the four powers of December 12, handed to the Porte jointly by the respective ambassadors in Constantinople, as well as a new circular by M. Drouin de Luis, signed in Paris on December 30, to French diplomatic agents. After carefully reading the note of the four powers, one can understand why such unrest began in Constantinople, when it became known that the note had been adopted by Porte, why an insurrectionary movement arose on December 21, and why the Turkish ministry had to solemnly declare that the resumption of peace negotiations would not entail any termination military operations, nor their suspension. Indeed, exactly nine days after the message about the treacherous and cowardly Sinop massacre reached Constantinople and was greeted throughout the Ottoman Empire with a single cry of vengeance, the four powers cold-bloodedly call - and the ambassadors of Great Britain and France even compel - Porto to enter into negotiations with the king on the following basis: all previous treaties will be renewed; the firmans concerning religious privileges bestowed by the Sultan on his Christian subjects will be supplemented by new guarantees granted to each of the powers, and therefore to the king; The port will appoint a commissioner to conclude a truce; it will allow Russia to build a church and a hospital in Jerusalem, and will commit itself to the powers (and therefore to the tsar) to improve its internal administrative system. The port will not only receive no compensation for the heavy damage caused by the piratical actions of the Muscovites, but, on the contrary, the chains that Russia forced Turkey to wear for a quarter of a century will be forged anew, and the prisoner will be shackled even more firmly than before. Porta must surrender to the autocrat's mercy, humbly assuring him of the religious privileges of its Christian subjects and solemnly vouching for its internal administrative system. Thus, she must submit at the same time to the protectorate of the king in religious matters and to his dictatorship in matters of civil administration. As compensation for such a surrender, the Porte promises to "evacuate the Danube principalities as soon as possible," the capture of which Lord Clanricard called "an act of piracy," Russia will be formally confirmed.
Although, in their unheard-of meanness, the despicable "Powers" reached their highest limit, forcing the Porto, a few days after Sinop, to negotiate on such a basis, yet they will not get rid of their difficulties in such a nefarious way. The tsar has already gone too far, he will not tolerate the slightest encroachment on the part of any of the European powers on the right of protectorate over the Christian subjects of Turkey, which he is defending.

This excerpt refers to the note of the four European powers, England, France, Asutria and Prussia, who offered Turkey mediation for a peaceful settlement of the conflict with Russia. The demand for Russia was the withdrawal of troops from the Danube principalities, and Turkey had to satisfy the demands of Russia on the special rights of Orthodox Christians. Such a solution to the problem did not suit the war party at all, which sought to draw the European powers into a war against Russia. This passage shows the attitude of the war party to the alleged treaty and Marx's attitude to the war party.

The Battle of Sinop, called a treacherous and cowardly massacre, is presented as an unexpected aggressive action by Russia, which destroyed a peaceful Turkish squadron and several merchant ships in the Sinop Bay. Domestic military history thinks differently. The Turkish squadron, breaking loose from the storm in the Sinop Bay, was preparing for an attack on the coast of the Caucasus, and the attack on the Turkish fleet was justified by this threat. In addition, it was undertaken after the declaration of war. Therefore, she was neither treacherous nor cowardly. Here is what Naida S.F. in the book about Nakhimov.

On September 14, 1853, Turkey announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia. England and France took the side of Turkey. True to their policy of raking in the heat with someone else's hands, they in every possible way provoked Turkey to go to war with Russia. The Anglo-French fleet entered the Sea of ​​Marmara through the Dardanelles and then arrived in Constantinople. It was an open challenge to Russia.

The military operations of the Turks began on October 11 with an attack on the ships of the Danube Flotilla in the Galati region, and on the night of October 15-16 - at the post of St. Nicholas on the Caucasian coastline. On the part of Russia, a manifesto declaring war on Turkey was signed on October 20, 1853.

Therefore, by October 18, 1853, Russia was already in a state of war with Turkey, so the attack on the Turkish squadron cannot be called a treacherous attack.

Nakhimov received a manifesto declaring war on Turkey by Russia at sea on November 1. From Sevastopol, the manifesto was delivered to him by the steamer "Bessarabia".

On November 3, Nakhimov handed over to the ships of his squadron a manifesto on the declaration of war and with it his order, in which he reported the following: “The Turkish fleet went to sea intending to occupy the port of Sukhum-Kale that belonged to us (General - Adjutant Kornilov). The enemy's intention cannot be fulfilled otherwise than by passing us by or giving us a battle. In the first case, I hope for the vigilant supervision of Messrs. commanders and officers, in the second, with God's help and confidence in my commanders and officers and teams, I hope to accept the battle with honor and prevent the enemy from fulfilling his audacious intention. "

The purpose of the Turkish squadron was to attack the Caucasian coast and capture the fortress of Sukhum-Kale, but the squadron was forced to take refuge in the Sinop Bay to wait out the strong autumn storms. The attack by the superior enemy forces in the Sinop Bay was called cowardly. Marx considered the Russian sailors to be cowards and scoundrels who attacked the strongest enemy and defended the Caucasian coast from the attack of the Turkish squadron.

In the late 40s and early 50s. XIX century, a new conflict began to brew in the Middle East, the reason for which was the dispute between the Catholic and Orthodox clergy about the "Palestinian shrines."

It was about which of the churches has the right to own the keys to the Bethlehem Temple and other Christian shrines in Palestine - at that time the province of the Ottoman Empire. In 1850, the Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Jerusalem turned to the Turkish authorities for permission to repair the main dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. At the same time, the Catholic mission raised the issue of the rights of the Catholic clergy, putting forward a demand to restore the Catholic silver star removed from the Holy Manger and give them the key to the main gate of the Bethlehem Church. At first, the European public did not pay much attention to this dispute, which continued throughout the years 1850-52.

The initiator of the aggravation of the conflict was France, where, during the revolution of 1848-1849. Louis Napoleon, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, who proclaimed himself Emperor of the French in 1852 under the name Napoleon III, came to power. He decided to use this conflict to strengthen his position within the country, enlisting the support of the influential French clergy. In addition, in his foreign policy, he sought to restore the former power of Napoleonic France at the beginning of the 19th century. The new French emperor strove for a small victorious war in order to strengthen his international prestige. From that time on, Russian-French relations began to deteriorate, and Nicholas I refused to recognize Napoleon III as the legitimate monarch.

Nicholas I, for his part, hoped to use this conflict for a decisive offensive against the Ottoman Empire, mistakenly believing that neither Britain nor France would take decisive action in its defense. However, England saw the spread of Russian influence in the Middle East as a threat to British India and entered into an anti-Russian alliance with France.

In February 1853 A.S. arrived in Constantinople on a special mission. Menshikov is the great-grandson of the famous associate. The purpose of his visit was to get the Turkish Sultan to restore all the previous rights and privileges of the Orthodox community. However, his mission ended in failure, which led to a complete rupture of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Ottoman Empire. To increase pressure on the Ottoman Empire, in June the Russian army under the command of M.D. Gorchakova occupied the Danube principalities. In October, the Turkish sultan declared war on Russia.

On November 18, 1853, the last major battle in the history of the sailing fleet took place in the Sinop Bay on the southern coast of the Black Sea.

The Turkish squadron of Osman Pasha left Constantinople for a landing operation in the Sukhum-kale region and made a stop in the Sinop Bay. The Russian Black Sea Fleet had the task of preventing the active actions of the enemy. The squadron under the command of Vice Admiral P.S. Nakhimova, consisting of three battleships, during cruising duty, discovered a Turkish squadron and blocked it in the bay. Help was requested from Sevastopol.

By the time of the battle, the Russian squadron consisted of 6 battleships and 2 frigates, and the Turkish squadron consisted of 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, 2 steam frigates, 2 brigs, 2 transports. The Russians had 720 guns and the Turks 510.

The Turkish ships began the artillery battle. The Russian ships managed to break through the enemy's defensive fire, anchored and opened devastating return fire. The 76 bomb cannons, first used by the Russians, proved to be especially effective, firing not with cannonballs, but with explosive shells. As a result of the battle, which lasted 4 hours, the entire Turkish fleet and all batteries of 26 guns were destroyed. The Turkish steamer "Taif" under the command of A. Slade, the British adviser to Osman Pasha, escaped. The Turks lost in killed and drowned over 3 thousand people, about 200 people. were captured. The commander-in-chief himself, Osman Pasha, was also captured in Russian. He, abandoned by his sailors, was rescued from the burning flagship by Russian sailors. When Nakhimov asked Osman Pasha if he had any requests, he answered: “To save me, your sailors risked their lives. I ask you to reward them with dignity. " The Russians lost 37 people. killed and 235 wounded. With the victory in the Sinop Bay, the Russian fleet gained complete dominance in the Black Sea and thwarted plans for a Turkish landing in the Caucasus.

The defeat of the Turkish fleet was the reason for the entry into the conflict of England and France, which brought their squadrons into the Black Sea and landed troops near the Bulgarian city of Varna. In March 1854, an offensive military treaty was signed in Istanbul by England, France and Turkey against Russia (in January 1855, the Kingdom of Sardinia joined the coalition). In April 1854 the allied squadron bombarded Odessa, and in September 1854 the allied troops landed near Evpatoria. The heroic page of the Crimean War was opened - the defense of Sevastopol.