"With one blow, the entire sea power of the Ottoman Empire was destroyed ..."
Preparing for a new attack
On the evening of July 5, immediately after the enemy retreated to Chesme Bay, a military council gathered. It discussed the results of the daytime battle and a plan for further action. Monitoring the location and condition of the Ottoman fleet, who had taken refuge in Chesme, clearly showed that many ships were damaged, crowded, and their teams were demoralized. “They are in the bay,” said Captain Khmetevsky about the Turkish ships, “so crowded that they crushed each other.” At the military council, it was decided not to give the enemy respite and attack him directly in Chesme Bay.
The Turkish fleet commander Ibrahim Husameddin Pasha hoped that Russian ships would not be able to attack his forces after a fierce battle and, relying on the inaccessibility of Chesma’s positions, abandoned the idea of entering the sea with the aim of detachment from the Russian squadron, which was possible with regard to the best Ottoman maritime qualities ships. The Turkish command hastily intensified the defense of the Chesme Bay. On coastal batteries, located at the entrance to the bay, long-range guns were taken from ships. As a result, coastal defense was significantly enhanced.
Russian ships settled in front of the bay, blocking the Ottoman fleet. Bombardier ship "Thunder" was pushed forward and began shelling the Chesme Bay from a distance. The foreman of the naval artillery, I. A. Hannibalu, was assigned to train firefighters to attack the enemy. Brander called the ship, loaded with flammable or explosive substances, used for arson and destruction of enemy ships. The next day, the fireworks were ready. They were equipped from small sailing schooners and filled with gunpowder and tar. The teams selected volunteers who volunteered for this difficult and dangerous business. By the evening of July 6, the ships' commanders reported on their readiness for battle.
An order was issued on the squadron: “About midnight, approach the Turkish fleet at such a distance that the shots could be valid not only from the lower deck, but also from the top.” Since the entrance to the bay was narrow, the enemy was not to be attacked by the entire squadron, but by a detachment of 4 battleships and 2 frigates. The battleships were to fire on enemy ships, and the frigates were given the task of crushing the coastal batteries. The Russian ships distracted the enemy’s attention to themselves, and then the firefighters had to go on the attack.
The defeat of the Turkish fleet at Chesma. Painting by Jacob Phillip Hackert
Chesma
At about midnight three lanterns flashed on the flagpole of the battleship "Rostislav": it was a signal to prepare for the attack. The ships "Europe", "Do not touch me", "Rostislav", "Saratov", the bombing ship "Thunder", frigates "Nadezhda" and "Africa" with four firefighters began to be removed from the anchor. At midnight, they reached the entrance to the bay. At first, their movement went unnoticed by the Ottomans. However, when approaching the coastal batteries they were found. The alarm on Turkish ships and batteries began. The enemy opened a powerful fire.
Russian ships under the brutal shelling continued movement. In the forefront was the battleship "Europe" under the command of Captain Klokachev. The Russian ship confidently went forward, passed the coastal batteries and entered into battle with the Ottoman ships. Following the "Europe", the remaining battleships broke through into the Chesme Bay and began to strike blow after blow at the enemy fleet. The frigates “Nadezhda” and “Africa” stopped at the entrance to the bay and opened fire on coastal batteries. “With great enthusiasm,” noted the participant in the battle, “our ships went to the harbor to meet a whole sea of fire and enemy ships and batteries. Having anchored, they aimed the largest of the enemy ships, and their cores, like rain began to drum in the Turkish ships, and the bombs flew through the air like fabulous meteors. ”
The night fight began. Russian ships approached the enemy at close range and at a distance of just 200 meters smashed the Ottoman fleet. Soon a strong fire started on one of the Turkish ships. Turkish sailors were thrown into the water. Soon the whole ship went into flames and when the fire got to the powder chamber, it flew into the air. Its burning debris spread over a long distance, and hit the nearby Turkish vessels. Two more Turkish ships caught fire. Panic started on the Turkish ships, the ships were crowded and lit one after another.
At around midnight 2, when two Turkish ships exploded, the second phase of the battle began. Brigadier Greig from the battleship Rostislav launched a rocket. Branders moved forward. Shooting from the Russian ships temporarily subsided. The Turks in the turmoil of the battle at first did not notice a new danger. However, the Ottoman commanders soon realized their mistake. Firefighters opened heavy fire, Turkish galleys rushed to intercept them.
The first three firewalls failed to complete the task. One ship was able to intercept the Turkish galleys, the second - stranded, the third - prematurely sent to the wind. Only the fourth ship under the command of Lieutenant Dmitry Ilyin was able to succeed. Under fire from a multitude of enemy guns, Illyin’s brander was able to cross the bay, approached the Ottoman fleet and became close to a large 84-gun ship of the line. Ilyin lit the brander and, having crossed to the boat with the crew, directed the brander to the enemy ship. Moving away for a short distance, he ordered a halt to make sure the attack was successful. A huge enemy ship caught fire. After that, Ilyin returned to his victory with a victory.
The successful attack by Brander Ilyin intensified the fire in the Ottoman fleet. From the burning wreckage of exploded ships, Turkish ships lit up one by one. The battleships Patron Bey and Safer Bey took off, then other Ottoman ships also died. The whole Chesme Bay was lit up with fires. The Turks threw their ships and sailed to the shore. In fact, the battle was over. The Turkish fleet ceased resistance.
In the morning from the Russian squadron a detachment of longboats and boats was sent to the bay, so that if there was an opportunity to seize several ships and vessels. So the linear 60-gun ship "Rhodes" was captured. Russian sailors climbed onto the deck of the Ottoman ship and began to withdraw the "prize" from the fire sea. In the other side of the bay, our sailors captured five Turkish galleys.
Source: Naval Atlas of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Volume III. Militaryhistorical. Part one
Results
On the morning of June 26, the last Turkish ship exploded in Chesme Bay. The crews of the Ottoman fleet and the garrison of the fortress left Chesma and fled to Smyrna. Russian fleet won a complete victory. The Turkish fleet was completely destroyed: the 15 of the battleships, the 6 frigates and a large number of small combat and auxiliary ships were killed, the 1 battleship and the 5 galleys became Russian trophies, hundreds of sailors were killed. The Russian fleet in the battle of the Chios Strait lost one battleship. In the battle of Chesme, Russian losses amounted to all 11 people.
Admiral Spiridov wrote: “Honor to the All-Russian Fleet! From 25 th to 26 enemy enemy military, the Turkish fleet attacked, smashed, smashed, burned, was let into the sky, sank, turned into ashes ... and began to be dominant throughout the Archipelago. ”
In honor of the victory, all the sailors of the Russian squadron were awarded a medal with a brief but significant inscription: "He was." Many participants of the Chesmen battle were awarded: the captain of the 1 rank Klokachev - “for a brave attack while burning the enemy fleet”, the captain-lieutenant Kartashev - for excellent bravery during the attack, when he set off to the ship in the middle of the lit enemy fleet. Rhodes "with extreme fearlessness and when taking it and removing it from the port, bravely acted," Captain-Lieutenant Perepechin - "for the unflinching suffering from the Turkish fleet of fire." Count Alexei Orlov received the right to add the name of the Chesmensky to the last name.
As directed by the Empress Catherine II, for the glory of the brilliant victory of the Russian fleet was a memorial Chesmensky Hall in the Grand Peterhof Palace, erected 2 monument to this event: Chesma obelisk in Gatchina and Chesme Column in Tsarskoye Selo, as well as built Chesma Palace and Chesma Church of St. John the Baptist in St. Petersburg.
Admiral Gregory Spiridov was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First Called. However, immediately after the end of hostilities in the Mediterranean Sea, Spiridov was dismissed from the fleet. He was offended by the fact that all the laurels of the winner went to Count Orlov. After 17 years, in April 1790, he died without a trace in the village wilderness of the Yaroslavl region. Only the local peasants and their faithful friend, Stepan Khmetevsky, the commander of the Three Hierarchs, accompanied him on his last journey. Not one of the main characters of Chesma, Lieutenant Dmitry Ilyin, came to court. Ilyin was awarded the Order of St. George IV class. As a result of intrigue after the end of the campaign, he was also fired from the fleet, until his death in the 1802 year, he lived in poverty. Ilyin was remembered only for 1895, when, at the behest of Emperor Alexander III in honor of the 125 anniversary of the Chesmen Victory, a monument was erected on the grave of D.Ilyin in the village of Zastizhye.
In the Chesme battle, the naval talent of Admiral Spiridov and the high combat skills of the commanders of the ships Greig, Klokachev, Khmetevsky and others showed up. Spiridov showed himself to be a supporter of active offensive tactics, which would later glorify FF Ushakov. Spiridov correctly estimated the situation and attacked the enemy, not being afraid of his apparent superiority. Despite the advantage of the enemy in ships, guns and people, Spiridov firmly and confidently attacked, ensured the preservation of control during the battle, and consistently performed the tasks of destroying the Turkish fleet. Among the tactics of the Russian fleet are: interception of the initiative in their own hands; a concentrated strike on the Ottoman flagship; skillful use of naval artillery to defeat the enemy; the continuity of the combat impact on the enemy, who was not given time to take a breather and recover. The characteristics of the Battle of Chesmen were a combination of such methods of naval combat as artillery strikes, the use of firefighters and boarding.
The Chesme Victory caused a wide resonance in Europe and Asia. The largest combat success of the Russian sailors was so obvious that neglect and skepticism regarding our fleet were replaced by thoughtfulness and even apprehension. In the capitals of the European powers analyzed the reports and reports on the Chesma battle, received from the witnesses of the battle, agents and diplomats. As early as July 1770, the British Admiralty received a comprehensive report that contained a full list of Russian ships, the names of the commanders, the state of the crews and the combat activities of the Russian fleet from arriving at the coast of Greece to the Chesmen Battle. The British highly appreciated the results of Chesma: “With one blow, the entire sea force of the Ottoman Empire was destroyed ...”
The English ambassador in Russia, Lord Kaskart, reporting to Chesme in London, particularly noted "the courage, stewardship and determination shown by the Russian admiral, officers and sailors under such new circumstances for them." Leading maritime powers sent their squadrons to monitor the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean. First came the French squadron, followed by the English, Dutch and Danish.
The Ottoman Empire was shocked by the terrible defeat and death of the entire fleet. In Istanbul, they feared that the Russians could now threaten the capital of the empire. Under the leadership of the French military engineers, the Turks hastily strengthened the defense of the Dardanelles.
After the defeat of the Turkish fleet, the Russian fleet was able to completely control the Aegean Sea and block the Dardanelles. The second squadron of Elphinstone was sent to the island of Tenedos, which lies near the Dardanelles and the beginning of the blockade of the Dardanelles. Elphinstone suggested that Orlov, on the wave of success, break through the Dardanelles and threaten Constantinople directly, but the commander considered that this was an adventure, there was little power for such an operation. Orlov hoped that the blockade of the Dardanelles would force the Ottomans to begin peace negotiations with Russia.
Meanwhile, the first squadron of Spiridov was sent to the island of Lemnos, which they wanted to turn into the operational base of the Russian fleet, in which it is possible to repair damaged ships and concentrate reserves for a large fleet. The Russians easily captured almost the whole island, which had convenient harbors, but could not immediately take the fortress of Pelari (Lipadia) of Lemnos, which they unsuccessfully besieged for two months.
The squadron of Elphinstone for two months tightly held in the blockade of the Dardanelles and the Ottomans could not provide any support to the garrison of Pelari. The victory was close. But at this time, Orlov and Elphinstone made gross blunders. Eagles for some reason requested the admiral. Elphinstone sailed from Dardanelles to Lemnos not on an auxiliary vessel, but on the most powerful battleship of the 86-gun Svyatoslav. Elphinstone's flagship was stranded. The admiral demanded the rest of the ships to rescue him. The blockade was removed. At that time, the Turks sent powerful reinforcements to Lemnos and the siege of the fortress failed. Lemnos had to leave. In addition to all the failures, "Svyatoslav" could not be stranded, and it had to be burned. Orlov accused Elphinstone of failure and removed him from command. As a result, the blockade operation of the Dardanelles failed due to command errors. A new base for the fleet was created on the islands of the Aegean Archipelago.
On the whole, the Chesme victory positively changed the strategic situation in favor of the Russian armed forces. The campaign of the Russian squadron to the Mediterranean in a military-strategic sense was associated with the struggle of Russia for access to the Black Sea. When the sailors of the Baltic Fleet diverted large ground and naval forces of the enemy, the Russian army achieved brilliant successes in the main theater of military operations - in the Northern Black Sea region and the Danube. In the 1770 campaign of the year, the Russian army under the command of Field Marshal P. Rumyantsev defeated the main forces of the Ottomans and the Crimean Tatars under Largah and Kagul. Following this, the Turkish fortresses of Akkerman, Brailov, Kiliya and Bender were captured. Continuing to crowd the enemy, in the 1771 year the Russian army captured the Crimean peninsula. In subsequent campaigns, troops under the command of A. In Suvorov took Turtukai and won victories in other battles. Crimea began to move into the sphere of influence of Russia.
Thus, the active and decisive actions of the Russian squadron in the Eastern Mediterranean had a serious impact on the fight against the Turkish armed forces in the main theater of operations. The defeat of the Turkish fleet in the deep rear weakened the military power of the Ottoman Empire, held down and diverted strength and attention to the Archipelago, making it impossible to concentrate all forces and funds on the main theater.
In addition, the actions of the squadron Spiridov created a favorable opportunity for the revival of the Russian fleet on the Sea of Azov. Since 1768, active construction of warships and auxiliary ships has been launched in those places where Peter built 70 years ago for the Azov campaigns - in Voronezh, Taganrog and other cities on the Don and its tributaries. By the spring of 1771, the 12 sailing ships and the 58 gunboats were built. Soon began to build and the Black Sea Fleet.
On the evening of July 5, immediately after the enemy retreated to Chesme Bay, a military council gathered. It discussed the results of the daytime battle and a plan for further action. Monitoring the location and condition of the Ottoman fleet, who had taken refuge in Chesme, clearly showed that many ships were damaged, crowded, and their teams were demoralized. “They are in the bay,” said Captain Khmetevsky about the Turkish ships, “so crowded that they crushed each other.” At the military council, it was decided not to give the enemy respite and attack him directly in Chesme Bay.
The Turkish fleet commander Ibrahim Husameddin Pasha hoped that Russian ships would not be able to attack his forces after a fierce battle and, relying on the inaccessibility of Chesma’s positions, abandoned the idea of entering the sea with the aim of detachment from the Russian squadron, which was possible with regard to the best Ottoman maritime qualities ships. The Turkish command hastily intensified the defense of the Chesme Bay. On coastal batteries, located at the entrance to the bay, long-range guns were taken from ships. As a result, coastal defense was significantly enhanced.
Russian ships settled in front of the bay, blocking the Ottoman fleet. Bombardier ship "Thunder" was pushed forward and began shelling the Chesme Bay from a distance. The foreman of the naval artillery, I. A. Hannibalu, was assigned to train firefighters to attack the enemy. Brander called the ship, loaded with flammable or explosive substances, used for arson and destruction of enemy ships. The next day, the fireworks were ready. They were equipped from small sailing schooners and filled with gunpowder and tar. The teams selected volunteers who volunteered for this difficult and dangerous business. By the evening of July 6, the ships' commanders reported on their readiness for battle.
An order was issued on the squadron: “About midnight, approach the Turkish fleet at such a distance that the shots could be valid not only from the lower deck, but also from the top.” Since the entrance to the bay was narrow, the enemy was not to be attacked by the entire squadron, but by a detachment of 4 battleships and 2 frigates. The battleships were to fire on enemy ships, and the frigates were given the task of crushing the coastal batteries. The Russian ships distracted the enemy’s attention to themselves, and then the firefighters had to go on the attack.
The defeat of the Turkish fleet at Chesma. Painting by Jacob Phillip Hackert
Chesma
At about midnight three lanterns flashed on the flagpole of the battleship "Rostislav": it was a signal to prepare for the attack. The ships "Europe", "Do not touch me", "Rostislav", "Saratov", the bombing ship "Thunder", frigates "Nadezhda" and "Africa" with four firefighters began to be removed from the anchor. At midnight, they reached the entrance to the bay. At first, their movement went unnoticed by the Ottomans. However, when approaching the coastal batteries they were found. The alarm on Turkish ships and batteries began. The enemy opened a powerful fire.
Russian ships under the brutal shelling continued movement. In the forefront was the battleship "Europe" under the command of Captain Klokachev. The Russian ship confidently went forward, passed the coastal batteries and entered into battle with the Ottoman ships. Following the "Europe", the remaining battleships broke through into the Chesme Bay and began to strike blow after blow at the enemy fleet. The frigates “Nadezhda” and “Africa” stopped at the entrance to the bay and opened fire on coastal batteries. “With great enthusiasm,” noted the participant in the battle, “our ships went to the harbor to meet a whole sea of fire and enemy ships and batteries. Having anchored, they aimed the largest of the enemy ships, and their cores, like rain began to drum in the Turkish ships, and the bombs flew through the air like fabulous meteors. ”
The night fight began. Russian ships approached the enemy at close range and at a distance of just 200 meters smashed the Ottoman fleet. Soon a strong fire started on one of the Turkish ships. Turkish sailors were thrown into the water. Soon the whole ship went into flames and when the fire got to the powder chamber, it flew into the air. Its burning debris spread over a long distance, and hit the nearby Turkish vessels. Two more Turkish ships caught fire. Panic started on the Turkish ships, the ships were crowded and lit one after another.
At around midnight 2, when two Turkish ships exploded, the second phase of the battle began. Brigadier Greig from the battleship Rostislav launched a rocket. Branders moved forward. Shooting from the Russian ships temporarily subsided. The Turks in the turmoil of the battle at first did not notice a new danger. However, the Ottoman commanders soon realized their mistake. Firefighters opened heavy fire, Turkish galleys rushed to intercept them.
The first three firewalls failed to complete the task. One ship was able to intercept the Turkish galleys, the second - stranded, the third - prematurely sent to the wind. Only the fourth ship under the command of Lieutenant Dmitry Ilyin was able to succeed. Under fire from a multitude of enemy guns, Illyin’s brander was able to cross the bay, approached the Ottoman fleet and became close to a large 84-gun ship of the line. Ilyin lit the brander and, having crossed to the boat with the crew, directed the brander to the enemy ship. Moving away for a short distance, he ordered a halt to make sure the attack was successful. A huge enemy ship caught fire. After that, Ilyin returned to his victory with a victory.
The successful attack by Brander Ilyin intensified the fire in the Ottoman fleet. From the burning wreckage of exploded ships, Turkish ships lit up one by one. The battleships Patron Bey and Safer Bey took off, then other Ottoman ships also died. The whole Chesme Bay was lit up with fires. The Turks threw their ships and sailed to the shore. In fact, the battle was over. The Turkish fleet ceased resistance.
In the morning from the Russian squadron a detachment of longboats and boats was sent to the bay, so that if there was an opportunity to seize several ships and vessels. So the linear 60-gun ship "Rhodes" was captured. Russian sailors climbed onto the deck of the Ottoman ship and began to withdraw the "prize" from the fire sea. In the other side of the bay, our sailors captured five Turkish galleys.
Source: Naval Atlas of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Volume III. Militaryhistorical. Part one
Results
On the morning of June 26, the last Turkish ship exploded in Chesme Bay. The crews of the Ottoman fleet and the garrison of the fortress left Chesma and fled to Smyrna. Russian fleet won a complete victory. The Turkish fleet was completely destroyed: the 15 of the battleships, the 6 frigates and a large number of small combat and auxiliary ships were killed, the 1 battleship and the 5 galleys became Russian trophies, hundreds of sailors were killed. The Russian fleet in the battle of the Chios Strait lost one battleship. In the battle of Chesme, Russian losses amounted to all 11 people.
Admiral Spiridov wrote: “Honor to the All-Russian Fleet! From 25 th to 26 enemy enemy military, the Turkish fleet attacked, smashed, smashed, burned, was let into the sky, sank, turned into ashes ... and began to be dominant throughout the Archipelago. ”
In honor of the victory, all the sailors of the Russian squadron were awarded a medal with a brief but significant inscription: "He was." Many participants of the Chesmen battle were awarded: the captain of the 1 rank Klokachev - “for a brave attack while burning the enemy fleet”, the captain-lieutenant Kartashev - for excellent bravery during the attack, when he set off to the ship in the middle of the lit enemy fleet. Rhodes "with extreme fearlessness and when taking it and removing it from the port, bravely acted," Captain-Lieutenant Perepechin - "for the unflinching suffering from the Turkish fleet of fire." Count Alexei Orlov received the right to add the name of the Chesmensky to the last name.
As directed by the Empress Catherine II, for the glory of the brilliant victory of the Russian fleet was a memorial Chesmensky Hall in the Grand Peterhof Palace, erected 2 monument to this event: Chesma obelisk in Gatchina and Chesme Column in Tsarskoye Selo, as well as built Chesma Palace and Chesma Church of St. John the Baptist in St. Petersburg.
Admiral Gregory Spiridov was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First Called. However, immediately after the end of hostilities in the Mediterranean Sea, Spiridov was dismissed from the fleet. He was offended by the fact that all the laurels of the winner went to Count Orlov. After 17 years, in April 1790, he died without a trace in the village wilderness of the Yaroslavl region. Only the local peasants and their faithful friend, Stepan Khmetevsky, the commander of the Three Hierarchs, accompanied him on his last journey. Not one of the main characters of Chesma, Lieutenant Dmitry Ilyin, came to court. Ilyin was awarded the Order of St. George IV class. As a result of intrigue after the end of the campaign, he was also fired from the fleet, until his death in the 1802 year, he lived in poverty. Ilyin was remembered only for 1895, when, at the behest of Emperor Alexander III in honor of the 125 anniversary of the Chesmen Victory, a monument was erected on the grave of D.Ilyin in the village of Zastizhye.
In the Chesme battle, the naval talent of Admiral Spiridov and the high combat skills of the commanders of the ships Greig, Klokachev, Khmetevsky and others showed up. Spiridov showed himself to be a supporter of active offensive tactics, which would later glorify FF Ushakov. Spiridov correctly estimated the situation and attacked the enemy, not being afraid of his apparent superiority. Despite the advantage of the enemy in ships, guns and people, Spiridov firmly and confidently attacked, ensured the preservation of control during the battle, and consistently performed the tasks of destroying the Turkish fleet. Among the tactics of the Russian fleet are: interception of the initiative in their own hands; a concentrated strike on the Ottoman flagship; skillful use of naval artillery to defeat the enemy; the continuity of the combat impact on the enemy, who was not given time to take a breather and recover. The characteristics of the Battle of Chesmen were a combination of such methods of naval combat as artillery strikes, the use of firefighters and boarding.
The Chesme Victory caused a wide resonance in Europe and Asia. The largest combat success of the Russian sailors was so obvious that neglect and skepticism regarding our fleet were replaced by thoughtfulness and even apprehension. In the capitals of the European powers analyzed the reports and reports on the Chesma battle, received from the witnesses of the battle, agents and diplomats. As early as July 1770, the British Admiralty received a comprehensive report that contained a full list of Russian ships, the names of the commanders, the state of the crews and the combat activities of the Russian fleet from arriving at the coast of Greece to the Chesmen Battle. The British highly appreciated the results of Chesma: “With one blow, the entire sea force of the Ottoman Empire was destroyed ...”
The English ambassador in Russia, Lord Kaskart, reporting to Chesme in London, particularly noted "the courage, stewardship and determination shown by the Russian admiral, officers and sailors under such new circumstances for them." Leading maritime powers sent their squadrons to monitor the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean. First came the French squadron, followed by the English, Dutch and Danish.
The Ottoman Empire was shocked by the terrible defeat and death of the entire fleet. In Istanbul, they feared that the Russians could now threaten the capital of the empire. Under the leadership of the French military engineers, the Turks hastily strengthened the defense of the Dardanelles.
After the defeat of the Turkish fleet, the Russian fleet was able to completely control the Aegean Sea and block the Dardanelles. The second squadron of Elphinstone was sent to the island of Tenedos, which lies near the Dardanelles and the beginning of the blockade of the Dardanelles. Elphinstone suggested that Orlov, on the wave of success, break through the Dardanelles and threaten Constantinople directly, but the commander considered that this was an adventure, there was little power for such an operation. Orlov hoped that the blockade of the Dardanelles would force the Ottomans to begin peace negotiations with Russia.
Meanwhile, the first squadron of Spiridov was sent to the island of Lemnos, which they wanted to turn into the operational base of the Russian fleet, in which it is possible to repair damaged ships and concentrate reserves for a large fleet. The Russians easily captured almost the whole island, which had convenient harbors, but could not immediately take the fortress of Pelari (Lipadia) of Lemnos, which they unsuccessfully besieged for two months.
The squadron of Elphinstone for two months tightly held in the blockade of the Dardanelles and the Ottomans could not provide any support to the garrison of Pelari. The victory was close. But at this time, Orlov and Elphinstone made gross blunders. Eagles for some reason requested the admiral. Elphinstone sailed from Dardanelles to Lemnos not on an auxiliary vessel, but on the most powerful battleship of the 86-gun Svyatoslav. Elphinstone's flagship was stranded. The admiral demanded the rest of the ships to rescue him. The blockade was removed. At that time, the Turks sent powerful reinforcements to Lemnos and the siege of the fortress failed. Lemnos had to leave. In addition to all the failures, "Svyatoslav" could not be stranded, and it had to be burned. Orlov accused Elphinstone of failure and removed him from command. As a result, the blockade operation of the Dardanelles failed due to command errors. A new base for the fleet was created on the islands of the Aegean Archipelago.
On the whole, the Chesme victory positively changed the strategic situation in favor of the Russian armed forces. The campaign of the Russian squadron to the Mediterranean in a military-strategic sense was associated with the struggle of Russia for access to the Black Sea. When the sailors of the Baltic Fleet diverted large ground and naval forces of the enemy, the Russian army achieved brilliant successes in the main theater of military operations - in the Northern Black Sea region and the Danube. In the 1770 campaign of the year, the Russian army under the command of Field Marshal P. Rumyantsev defeated the main forces of the Ottomans and the Crimean Tatars under Largah and Kagul. Following this, the Turkish fortresses of Akkerman, Brailov, Kiliya and Bender were captured. Continuing to crowd the enemy, in the 1771 year the Russian army captured the Crimean peninsula. In subsequent campaigns, troops under the command of A. In Suvorov took Turtukai and won victories in other battles. Crimea began to move into the sphere of influence of Russia.
Thus, the active and decisive actions of the Russian squadron in the Eastern Mediterranean had a serious impact on the fight against the Turkish armed forces in the main theater of operations. The defeat of the Turkish fleet in the deep rear weakened the military power of the Ottoman Empire, held down and diverted strength and attention to the Archipelago, making it impossible to concentrate all forces and funds on the main theater.
In addition, the actions of the squadron Spiridov created a favorable opportunity for the revival of the Russian fleet on the Sea of Azov. Since 1768, active construction of warships and auxiliary ships has been launched in those places where Peter built 70 years ago for the Azov campaigns - in Voronezh, Taganrog and other cities on the Don and its tributaries. By the spring of 1771, the 12 sailing ships and the 58 gunboats were built. Soon began to build and the Black Sea Fleet.
Information