Battle of Athos

Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1806-1812)

The Battle of Athos by Alexey Bogolyubov

Date	19–22 June 1807
Location	between Mount Athos and Lemnos.
Result	Decisive Russian Victory

Belligerents

Russian Empire

Ottoman Empire

Commanders and leaders

Dmitry Senyavin

Aleksey Greig

Seyit Ali

Bekir Bey (POW)

Strength

10 ships of the line

10 ships of the line, 5 frigates, 3 sloops, 2 brigs

Casualties and losses

78 killed, 172 wounded

3 ships of the line, 2 frigates, 1 sloop
more than 1,000 killed, 774 prisoners

Dmitry Senyavin

The naval Battle of Athos (also known as the Battle of Monte Sancto and the Battle of Lemnos) took place from the 19 to 22 June 1807 and was a key naval battle of the Russo-Turkish War (1806–12, part of the Napoleonic Wars). It was fought a month after the Battle of the Dardanelles.

The battle was triggered by Dmitry Senyavin's retreat from the Dardanelles, which he had been blockading since March, towards the Russian naval base at Tenedos. The Ottoman commander, Kapudan Pasha Seyit-Ali, ventured with 9 ships of the line, 5 frigates and 5 other vessels out of the strait into the Aegean Sea. Thereupon Senyavin returned to cut off his retreat and fell upon the Ottoman fleet halfway between Mount Athos and Lemnos. Trying to avoid a battle or distraction from Tenedos, the Turkish fleet went around him on the south side and rushed to the west. Senyavin, leaving the smaller ships to help the fortress, set out to find the enemy, and found him on 19 June in an unsettled situation at anchor between the island of Lemnos and Athos Mountain.

From his previous experience, Senyavin had learned that the Ottomans fought bravely unless their flagship was sunk or taken captive. He therefore ordered Aleksey Greig and other captains of his ships of the line to concentrate their attack on the three Ottoman flagships, whilst other Russian vessels were to prevent Ottoman frigates from delivering help.

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