Aegean Expedition

Battle of Chesme
Part of the Russo-Turkish War, 1768-1774
The destruction of the Ottoman fleet on 7 July.
Date 5–7 July 1770 Location Çeşme Bay, Ottoman Empire Result Decisive Russian victory
Belligerents
Russian Empire	Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov, Grigory Spiridov, John Elphinstone	Mandalzade Hüsameddin Pasha
Strength
9 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 1 bomb, 4 fireships, 4 supply ships	16 ships of the line, 6 frigates, 6 xebecs, 13 galleys, 32 small craft, 1,300 guns
Casualties and losses
1 ship of the line 4 fire ships 534 — 661 killed 40 wounded	12 ships of the line 12 frigates and escort vessels 13 galleys 32 smaller vessels at least 8,000 men killed

The naval Battle of Chesme took place on 5–7 July 1770 near and in Çeşme (Chesme or Chesma) Bay, in the area between the western tip of Anatolia and the island of Chios, which was the site of a number of past naval battles between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. It was a part of the Orlov Revolt of 1769, a precursor to the later Greek War of Independence (1821–29), and the first of a number of disastrous fleet battles for the Ottomans against Russia.

The Russo-Turkish War had begun in 1768, and Russia sent several squadrons from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to draw Ottoman attention away from their Black Sea fleet, then only 6 battleships (ships of the line) strong. Two Russian squadrons, commanded by Admiral Grigory Spiridov and Rear Admiral John Elphinstone, a British adviser, combined under the overall command of Count Alexei Orlov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Fleet, and went to look for the Ottoman fleet.

On 5 July 1770, they came across it anchored in line just north of Çeşme Bay, western Anatolia. Details of the Ottoman fleet are uncertain, but it included 14–16 ships of the line including Real Mustafa of 84 guns, Rodos of 60 guns and a 100-gun flagship. In addition, there were perhaps 6 frigates, 6 xebecs, 13 galleys and 32 small craft, with about 1,300 guns in total. About 10 of the ships of the line, of 70–100 guns, were in the Ottoman main line with a further 6 or so ships of the line in the second, arranged so that they could fire through the gaps in the first line. Behind that were the frigates, xebecs, etc. The fleet was commanded by Kapudan Pasha Mandalzade Hüsameddin, in the fourth ship from the front (north end) of the line, with Hasan Pasha in the first ship, Real Mustafa, and Cafer Bey in the seventh. Two further ships of the line, probably small, had left this fleet for Mytilene the previous evening.

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