245 years ago, the Russian squadron destroyed the Turkish fleet in the Chesma battle
245 years ago, on July 7, 1770, a Russian squadron, led by Count Alexei Orlov and Admiral Georgy Spiridov, destroyed the Turkish fleet in Chesmenskaya Bay. Chesme battle between Russian and Turkish fleets in the Aegean off the western coast of Turkey occurred during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 and became one of the largest battles of the era of the sailing fleet.
prehistory
In 1768, under the influence of the Polish question and the pressure of France, the Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia. By this time, the same situation as in the 17th century remained in the southern strategic direction. The Russian Empire did not have its own fleet in the Azov and Black Seas, where the Porta naval forces reigned undivided. The Black Sea was, in fact, the "Turkish Lake". The Northern Pontic, the Azov Sea region and the Crimea were under the control of the Ottoman Empire and were a springboard for aggression against the Russian state.
In the fall of 1768, the Crimean cavalry invaded Russian territory, starting a war. The enemy was defeated and retreated, but the threat persisted. The Northern Black Sea Coast became the main theater of operations, where the Russian army fought for more than five years with the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate.
In order to somehow compensate for the lack of a fleet in the Black Sea, Petersburg decided to send a squadron from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean and threaten Turkey from there. The main objective of the expedition was to support the possible uprising of the Christian peoples of the Balkan Peninsula (primarily the Peloponnese Greeks and the islands of the Aegean Sea) and the threat of the Ottoman Empire from the rear. The Russian squadron was supposed to disrupt the enemy’s sea communications in the Mediterranean, to divert part of the enemy’s forces (especially the fleet) from the Black Sea theater of hostilities. With luck, the squadron was supposed to block the Dardanelles and capture the important coastal points of Turkey. The main theater of action was located in the Aegean Sea or, as they said, in the Greek Archipelago, hence the name Archipelago Expedition.
For the first time the idea to send Russian ships to the shores of the Aegean Sea, to raise and support the uprising of the Christian peoples living there against the Ottomans was expressed by the then favorite of Empress Catherine II Gregory Orlov. It is possible that the idea was first expressed by the future head of the expedition, Count Alexei Orlov, Gregory's brother, and Gregory only supported her and brought it to Catherine. Alexey Orlov wrote to his brother about the tasks of such an expedition and the war as a whole: “If we are to go, then go to Constantinople and free all Orthodox and pious from the burdensome. And I will say this, as in the diploma of Tsar Peter I said: but to turn their infidel Mohammedans into the steppes of sand to their former dwellings. And here piety will be brought on again, and let us say, glory to our God and all-powerful. " When submitting a draft expedition to the Council under the Empress, Grigory Orlov formulated his proposal as follows: “send, in the form of a voyage, several ships to the Mediterranean Sea and from there make a diversion to the enemy.”
In the winter of 1769, an unprecedented excitement reigned in the harbors of Kronstadt. The Gulf of Finland was icebound, but they were actively preparing for the march on ships. The expedition included several Baltic Fleet squadrons: total 20 battleships, 6 frigates, 1 bomber ship, 26 auxiliary ships, over 8 thousands of airborne troops, the whole expedition crew over 17 thousand people. In addition, several ships were planning to buy in England. Alexei Orlov was appointed commander of the expedition in the position of General-in-Chief.
The first squadron (left in July 1769) was commanded by Grigory Andreyevich Spiridov, an experienced sailor, who began service under Peter the Great. The first squadron consisted of 7 battleships - “Saint Eustathius”, “Svyatoslav”, “Three Hierarchs”, “Three Saints”, “Saint Yanuariy”, “Europe” and “Northern Eagle”, 1 bombing ship “Grom”, 1 frigate "Hope of Welfare" and 9 auxiliary vessels. Almost all battleships had 66 guns, including the flagship Saint Eustathius. The most powerful ship was the Svyatoslav - 86 guns. The second squadron (released in October 1769 of the year) was commanded by the Englishman Rear-Admiral John Elphinston who transferred to the Russian service. It consisted of 3 battleships - the flagship "Do not touch me", "Tver" and "Saratov" (all had 66 guns), 2 frigate - "Hope" and "Africa", ship "Chichagov" and 2 kick. During the campaign, the squadron’s composition changed somewhat.
The campaign of the Russian squadron around Europe was a difficult task and it was under conditions of a difficult international situation. The exit of Russia to the Mediterranean Sea met a hostile attitude of France. The news of the Russian campaign was a complete surprise to Paris, but the French were convinced that the Archipelago expedition, with complete detachment from the bases and lack of necessary experience, would end in complete failure of the Russian fleet. England, which in this period considered France its main adversary, initially supported Russia. However, the prevailing opinion in London was that the Russian fleet, which was in decline after the death of Peter the Great, was unlikely to be able to independently carry out a similar operation at a theater of military operations remote from Russia. As a result, the British decided to help. They say that success is achieved by the Russians - well, the damage to France, which has excessively strengthened its position in the Port, is not achieved - is also good, England will not lose anything, and Russia's prestige will suffer. In general, the assistance of England was useful to Russia: she managed to hire experienced combat officers of various levels and receive important assistance in supplying and repairing ships directly in England and in her strongholds in the Mediterranean - in Gibraltar and Minorca. The benevolent neutrality and assistance to the Russian fleet was also provided by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (a region of modern Italy), in the main port of this state - in Livorno, Russian ships were repaired and kept in contact with Russia through Tuscany.
Count Alexei Orlov - the inspirer and the first commander of the expedition. Portrait of KL Khristinek
Russian admiral Grigory Andreyevich Spiridov
Hike. First battles
Indeed, for the Russian sailors the march around Europe was a serious test. Until that time, Russian ships were mainly located in the Baltic water area, most often in the Gulf of Finland. Only a few merchant ships left the Baltic Sea. The Russian ships on a long voyage had to fight the elements far from their bases, having the need for everything necessary.
18 (29) July 1769, the squadron Sviridov left Kronstadt and moved to Copenhagen. Only in the first days the weather was favorable. Then the wind began to grow stronger, and in the area of the island of Gotland a storm began, which lasted almost continuously until the squadron entered the North Sea. Gusts of strong wind drove ships off course. Particularly difficult was the passage of the Kattegat - the strait between the eastern coast of the Jutland peninsula and the southwestern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The difficulty of navigation in this dangerous area of navigation is aggravated by the fog, which closed all coastal landmarks. Ships had to go almost to the touch, extremely slowly. There were a lot of sick people on the ships. By the arrival of ships in England, hundreds of people fell ill.
In front of the squadron, there was a small pink “Lapomink” under the command of Lieutenant Commander E. S. Izvekova. At night, 16 September ship was at Cape Skagen. The ship ran into a coastal reef and began to sink. Sailors began to move from ship to boat. But it was necessary to report the threat to other ships that were on the same course. Could die new ships and hundreds of people. Kick gunners opened fire, signaling their squadron of danger. The squadron changed course and safely passed the cape.
Even earlier, the Kapomink kick was damaged by the most powerful ship, Svyatoslav. 10 (21) August on the ship opened a leak and he barely returned to Revel. "Svyatoslav" after the repair joined the second squadron of Elphinstone, became the flagship of the second squadron. Therefore, Spiridov, with his own decision, joined the battleship Rostislav from Archangelsk to the squadron.
August 30 (September 10) squadron arrived in Copenhagen. The 4 (15) of September, the battleship of the Three Saints, hit a sandy bank and was able to remove it, but the ship was badly damaged. And when 24 of September the main part of the Russian squadron arrived in English Gull, the Three Hierarchs were left there for repair. In England, much of the squadron remained under repair under the command of brigadier Samuel Greig.
The road ahead was also hard. In the Bay of Biscay, a storm broke out. Some ships were badly damaged. The ship "Northern Eagle" was forced to return to the English city of Portsmouth, where he was eventually found unfit for service and dismantled. In the long hike, the insufficient strength of the hulls of the ships was revealed: during the rolling of the planking, the trimming boards retreated and a leak appeared. Poor ventilation and the absence of hospitals led to massive illness of the teams and high mortality. The unsatisfactory preliminary preparation by the Admiralty also had an effect. Fleet officials sought to formally solve the task set in order to get rid of the troublesome business: they somehow supplied the ships and escorted them from Kronstadt. Crews of ships were in great need of food, drinking water and uniforms. To repair and eliminate damage in transit to the entire squadron, which was sent on a long hike, only one shipmaster was appointed.
For about a month, the transfer of Russian ships from the coast of England to Gibraltar lasted — over 1500 miles without a single stop at the ports. In November 1769, the ship “Evstafy” under the flag of Spiridov passed Gibraltar, entered the Mediterranean Sea, and arrived Port Magon (Minorca). 12 (23) November Greig with the main body of the squadron in Gibraltar, where he heard from Spiridov and headed for Minorca. For Christmas 1769, only 9 ships gathered in Menorca: including the 4 battleships - Saint Eustathius, Three Hierarchs, Three Saints, Saint Januarius and the frigate Nadezhda Prosperity. One of the ships took Orlov to Livorno. In February 1770, the 1-I squadron reached the shores of the Morea Peninsula (Peloponnese). In March, the ships of the line "Rostislav" and "Europe" arrived.
The population of Morea met Russian sailors with great enthusiasm, seeing them as liberators from the Ottoman yoke. At this time, the national liberation movement of the Greek people against Ottoman domination flared up. The ranks of the rebel groups were replenished with thousands of volunteers. Organized in two units (legion), they launched hostilities in the deep part of the peninsula. The squadron Spiridov 17 (28) February landed a small landing force in the bay of Itilona (Vittolo). Captain Barkov's detachment occupied the fortification of Berdon and laid siege to the fortress of Myzitra (Mystra). A few days later the Turks surrendered. The Greek rebels, who hate the Ottomans, despite the demands of the Russians, dealt with the Turks. This worsened the situation of the rebels, as the Turkish garrisons, who were wavering and ready to capitulate, now put up stubborn and fierce resistance. In the area of Tripolitsa, the Russian-Greek detachment was defeated by the Ottomans and retreated to the fortress of Mizitra, and then on.
Meanwhile, the Russian squadron with the main part of the landing began the siege of seaside fortresses in southern Greece. Russian troops laid siege to the fortresses of Navarin, Modon (Methoni) and Coron (Koroni). A squadron needed parking. The choice fell on the fortress Coron. Having no sufficient strength to storm the fortress, the Russians and Greeks began the siege. However, in early April, the Turks destroyed the underground gallery for laying mines under the fortress wall. There was no time and effort for a new decision. Alexei Orlov ordered to lift the siege of the fortress, especially since Navarin had been captured by that time. 13 April Russian troops lifted the siege.
Two ships, Yanuarii, Three Saints, and the frigate Saint Nicholas under the general command of the naval artillery brigade leader I.A. Hannibal were sent to the siege of Navarin. The Russians built batteries. Strong gun fire led to severe destruction. The Turkish governor ordered the city to be surrendered, on April 10 (21), the Russians occupied Navarin. As a result, the Navarinskaya bay became the temporary parking of the Russian fleet.
Then the Russian detachment and the Greek rebels under the command of Prince Yuri Dolgorukov laid siege to the Modon fortress. However, the siege ended in failure. The Ottomans sent large reinforcements to the fortress. The Greeks did not withstand the attacks of the enemy and ran. The Russian assault forces could not independently resist the superior forces of the enemy. The Turks seized the guns and the Russians retreated to Navarin. Dolgoruky was injured.
Turkish troops laid siege to Navarin. Eagles, due to the military weakness of the Greek troops, problems with drinking water and the threat from the approaching Turkish army, decided to leave the fortress. May 23 (June 3) fortress blew up and left. Russian troops left Morea, moving the fighting in the Aegean Sea.
The Greek rebels continued to fight some more and won a number of victories. However, the Turks received more reinforcements and suppressed the uprising. Punishers, especially the irregular Albanian detachments, filled the area with blood. The failure of the uprising was due to the fact that the Russian squadron, remote from Russia, could not organize the Greek rebels, supply them with everything they needed, and provide full support. In addition, Orlov used the Russian forces irrationally, carried away by the siege of the southern fortresses, instead of strengthening the troops that operated in the interior of the peninsula. As a result, time and strategic initiative were missed and the Ottomans deployed significant additional forces to combat the uprising. On the other hand, the Orlova expedition fulfilled its main mission - it diverted a part of the Turkish army from the Danube theater of action to the Greek one. This was one of the prerequisites for the successful actions of the army of P. A. Rumyantsev on the Danube. The Greeks became a victim of big politics.
Actions of Russian troops and fleet in 1770
Fighting at sea
The Turkish command was not only the ground forces, but also the fleet to the Peloponnese. The Ottomans decided to block Navarin not only from land, but also from the sea. A large squadron left the Turkish ports. At the same time, the second squadron commanded by D. Elphinstone arrived - "Saratov", "Do not touch me" and still behind the first squadron "Svyatoslav", 2 frigate ("Hope" and "Africa"), several transport and auxiliary vessels.
9 (29) May 1770, Elfinstone's squadron arrived at the shores of Morea. After landing, the squadron moved in search of the enemy’s fleet, which they learned from the Greeks. 16 (27) May Elphinstone met the enemy at the Gulf of Napoli di Romagna. The Ottoman fleet had a great superiority: 10 battleships and 6 frigates (not counting other ships) against 3 Russian ships and 2 frigates. However, Elphinstone was not embarrassed, and the Russian squadron attacked the enemy. The Turks did not accept the proposed battle, and Napoli di Romagna hid under cover of coastal guns. Calm helped escape the Turks. They retreated with the help of rowing ships. Russian ships were unable to prosecute.
Happy 17 (28) May, Russian ships again attacked the enemy. The battle ended with no casualties on both sides. The Turks believed that they were dealing with the vanguard of the sprawling Russian fleet, so they retreated under the protection of coastal batteries. Elphinstone decided that he would not have enough forces to block the Turkish fleet, and departed.
May 22 (June 2) the second squadron of Elphinstone united with the squadron of Spiridov. The combined Russian forces returned to Napoli di Romagna, but the Ottomans were no longer there. The commander of the Turkish fleet Hasan Bey took the fleet to the direction of Chios. 24 May (4 June) near the island of Spezia Russian and Turkish ships were within sight. However, the calm prevented the battle. For three days the opponents saw each other, but could not join the battle. Then the Ottomans took advantage of the favorable wind and disappeared.
Russian ships began to search for the enemy. Spiridov resented Elphinstone, who missed the Turks at Napoli di Romagna. The admirals quarreled. According to Catherine’s instructions, Admiral Spiridov and Rear Admiral Elphinstone were put on an equal footing, and neither of them was subordinate to the other. Only the arrival of 11 (22) of June Orlov defused the situation, he assumed supreme command. Orlov was led by a detachment of ships that Navarin was the last to leave and the recently renovated battleship Rostislav who had come from Livorno.
For almost a month, Russian ships plowed the Aegean Sea, chasing after the Turks. 15 (26) June, the Russian fleet was supplied with water on the island of Paros, where the Greeks reported that the Turkish fleet left the island 3 a day ago. The Russian command decided to go to the island of Chios, and if there is no enemy there, then to the island of Tenedos to block the Dardanelles. June 23 (July 4) at the island of Chios, the patrols found the enemy on the rostislav ship in the vanguard.
The beginning of a decisive battle. Fight in the Chios Strait
When the Russian ships approached the Strait of Chios, which separated the island of Chios from Asia Minor, it became possible to determine the composition of the enemy fleet. It turned out that the enemy has a significant advantage. The Turkish fleet consisted of: 16 battleships (5 with 80 guns each, 10 with 60-70 guns), 6 frigates and dozens of shebeks, galleys and other small combat and auxiliary ships. The Turkish fleet was armed with 1430 guns, the total crew numbered 16 thousand people. Orlov before the start of the battle had 9 battleships, 3 frigates and 18 other ships that had 730 guns and a crew of about 6,5 thousand people. Thus, the enemy had a double superiority in guns and men. The balance of power was clearly not in favor of the Russian fleet.
Count Orlov was confused. However, the majority of Russian sailors were ready to fight. The enthusiasm of the crews, the persistence of Spiridov and the ship commanders convinced the commander-in-chief of the need for a decisive attack. “When I saw this construction (the battle line of the enemy),” Orlov reported to Petersburg, “I was horrified and in the dark: what should I do? But the courage of the troops, the zeal of all ... forced me to decide and, despite the excellent forces (of the enemy), dare to attack - to fall or destroy the enemy. "
The Turkish fleet was not only superior in the number of ships, guns and people, but also held a favorable position. Ottoman ships stood half a mile from the coast in two lines; the right flank rested on a small island, and the left flank - to the coast. The front line consisted of 9 battleships, in the second line there were 6 ships and 4 frigate. The distance between them was small - 150-200 meters. Between the main forces of the enemy and the coast were the remaining ships of the Turkish fleet. A large fortified camp was set up near the coast, from where the ships replenished their supplies. The commander of the Turkish fleet Ibrahim Husameddin Pasha watched the battle from the shore. Admiral Gassan Bey was on the flagship of Real Mustafa.
At dawn 24 June (5 July) with a quiet tail wind, the Russian squadron moved into the strait. The lead ship was the battleship "Europe" under the command of captain 1 of the rank of Fedot Klokachev, followed by the flagship ship of Spiridonov "Evstafiy", then the ship "Three Saints" under the command of captain 1 of rank Stepan Khmetevsky. They were followed by the “Yanuariy” battleships of captain 1 of the rank of Mikhail Borisov, the Three Hierarchs of the brigadier Samuel Greig and Rostislav of Captain of 1 of rank Lupandin. The rear-guard ships “Don't touch me” —Elphinstone's flagship — commander — 1 captain of the rank of Beshentsev, Svyatoslav of the captain 1-th rank of Roxburgh, and Saratov of Captain Polivanov closed the battle line.
When about three cable lines remained before the enemy (one-tenth of a mile, cable marks 185 m), the Turks opened fierce fire. Turkish gunners beat mainly on the mast and rigging to impede the maneuvering of our ships. Under shelling of the enemy fleet, the Russian squadron continued its rapprochement, not responding to the fire. For Russian ships, with a large number of small-caliber guns, the least distance was more advantageous. In addition, the rapprochement made it possible to somewhat reduce losses, since not all Turkish ships could fire, especially aimed. Around noon, the advanced line ship "Europe" approached the battle line of the Turkish fleet at a distance of a pistol shot - 50 meters, and was the first to return fire. Captain Klokachev wanted to bring the ship closer to the enemy even closer, but the proximity of the rocks made him turn and temporarily get out of the line.
Leading was the flagship Spiridov. A concentrated fire of several enemy ships at once fell on the Russian flagship. But our flagship continued to move confidently, setting an example for the entire squadron. Inspiring the sailors to the battle with the Ottomans, Admiral Gregory Spiridov stood on the upper deck with a bare sword. On the Russian ships combat marches thundered. The musicians received the order "Play to the last!".
Having approached the enemy’s battle line closely, Evstafy turned overboard and opened powerful fire on Turkish ships. The Russian gunners concentrated the main fire on the Ottoman flagship Real Mustafa. Following the flagship, the rest of the Russian fleet joined the battle. By the end of the first hour, the battle had become general.
The battleship "Three Saints" led extremely accurate fire at the enemy, causing serious damage to the Turkish ships. At the same time, several enemy shells were hit in the Russian ship, with which the brasas were killed (rigging tackle, with the help of which the yards were turned in the horizontal direction). The Three Saints began to demolish right in the middle of the Turkish fleet, between its two battle lines. The situation has become very dangerous. At the slightest mistake, the ship could collide with a Turkish ship or crash against stones. However, Captain Khmetevsky, despite his injury, continued to skillfully guide the actions of the ship. The Russian ship withstood a powerful shelling of the enemy. From the enemy shelling on the Three Saints there appeared underwater holes, masts were damaged. But the Russian sailors continued to fight at close range, and they themselves threw hundreds of shells at the enemy. They fired at the enemy from both sides at once.
The ship "Yanuariy" under the command of Captain Borisov, passing along the Ottoman line, and shooting several enemy ships at once, turned and again walked along the line. Then he took a position opposite one of the ships and concentrated the fire on him. For the "Januarius" followed the ship "Three Hierarchs." He approached another enemy ship, the flagship of the Kapudan-Pasha, anchored and began a fierce duel. Russian ships became almost close to the enemy ships, which made it possible to use not only small-caliber artillery, but also guns. The Turkish ship could not stand the fire and retreated, showing aft. He was "broken to the extreme." Other Turkish ships, against which Rostislav and Europe fought, were also seriously damaged.
A fierce battle between Eustache and several enemy ships continued in the center of military formations. The flagship of the Russian squadron fired from such a short distance that its sides were piercing both sides of the Turkish flagship and the crews fired rifle and pistol firefights. Many Turks could not stand the battle, and rushed overboard. But the enemy fire led to severe damage "Eustache". Masts, yards and sails of the Russian ship were badly damaged. Things reached the point that the Efstafiy met with Real Mustafa and the Russian sailors rushed to the boarding.
“All the ships,” wrote Count Orlov, “attacked the enemy with great courage, all with great care carried out their position, but the ship Admiral Evstafy surpassed all the others; The British, French, Venetians and Maltese - witnesses in this action - admitted that they had never imagined that they could attack the enemy with such patience and fearlessness. ”
Russian sailors and officers bravely attacked and, step by step, pressed the enemy team. One of the brave men rushed to the Turkish flag and, despite two heavy wounds, he did not release the flag and delivered it to Spiridov. The Turkish admiral Gassan Bey, fleeing, jumped overboard and was rescued by one of the boats. The Turks were defeated. The Ottomans were pushed back to the stern and to the lower decks. Suddenly a huge column of smoke and flames appeared on the stern.
Russian sailors tried to extinguish the fire started. However, the flames quickly spread through the Turkish battleship, covering masts and sails. A burning mast from a Turkish ship fell on Eustathus. Sparks scattered on the ship, the fire started. The fire penetrated the powder cellar. Stocks of gunpowder and shells exploded. "Evstafy" died. A few minutes later, the Turkish flagship took off.
After the death of both flagships in the Strait of Chios there was a short lull. To the place of the death of the ships rushed boats to save the survivors. Sailors who floated among the wreckage began to be brought aboard. In accordance with the charter, Admiral Spiridov managed to leave the ship a few minutes before the explosion. He transferred his flag to the "Three Hierarchs". Few managed to save - 58 people (according to other sources about 70). Among the survivors was the captain Cruise, he flew with the wreckage of the ship into the water, but was rescued by the approached boat. Interestingly, they did not want to take him into the boat. The captain was known for his cruel treatment of sailors. However, mercy prevailed, he was dragged out. After that, the captain dramatically changed his style of communication with subordinates and earned their respect. The total death toll at Evstafia has reached, according to various data, 500-600 people.
The picture of Aivazovsky depicts the climax of the battle - the clash of two flagships.
The battle was still going on, but with every minute the resistance of the Ottomans weakened. Under heavy fire of the Russian squadron, the Turkish ships, one by one, began to leave the battlefield and retreat to the Chesme Bay. The Turks hoped for an unapproachable position at Chesma. The high banks of the bay protected it from the wind, and the batteries at the entrance to the bay seemed to serve as an impregnable barrier for enemy ships.
The sides lost one battleship, and several Turkish ships suffered significant damage. Of the Russian ships, minor damage was only on the Three Saints and Europe. The loss of crews, not counting the lost battleship, was insignificant.
Thus, the first stage of the decisive battle of the two fleets was left for the Russians. The Ottomans, although they retained almost all the ships, but were demoralized and retreated. It was necessary to complete the case and destroy the Turkish fleet.
To be continued ...
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