Battle of Sinope

Battle of Sinop

The Battle of Sinop, by Alexey Bogolyubov

Date	30 November 1853 (18 November O.S.)
Location	Sinop, Ottoman Empire
Result	Decisive Russian victory

Belligerents

Russian Empire

Ottoman Empire

Commanders and leaders

Pavel Nakhimov

Osman Pasha

Adolphus Slade

Strength

6 ships of the line,
2 frigates,
3 steamers

7 frigates,
3 corvettes,
2 steamers

Casualties and losses

37 killed,
229 wounded
~3 ships of the line damaged

2,960 dead, 150 taken prisoner
1 frigate sunk,
1 steamer sunk,
6 frigates grounded,
3 corvettes grounded,
~2 shore batteries destroyed

The Battle of Sinop, or the Battle of Sinope, was a naval battle that took place on 30 November 1853 at Sinop, a sea port in northern Anatolia, when a squadron of Imperial Russian warships struck and annihilated a squadron of Ottoman ships anchored in the harbor. The battle was part of the Crimean War, and a contributory factor in bringing France and Great Britain into the conflict. This was the last major battle between fleets of sailing ships. The battle is commemorated in Russia as a Day of Military Honour.

The Battle of Sinop was a direct result of the gradual disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and the loss of Ottoman force projection into the Black Sea. By 1850, the Ottoman Empire was deeply in debt and relied exclusively on British and French loans as a means of support. As a result, Ottoman leaders had no choice but to agree to drastic force reductions in both Army and Navy force tables. By 1853, Tsar Nicholas I saw the reductions as an opportunity to press Russian claims in the Trans-Caucasus and along the Danube River. In July 1853, Russian forces occupied several Ottoman principalities along the Danube, as well as forts. When mediation broke down, Sultan Abdulmecid I responded with a declaration of war. Fearing Russian expansion, the United Kingdom and France issued a concurrent ultimatum: Russia was to fight only defensively. As long as Russia stayed on the defensive the Anglo-French would remain neutral, but if Russia acted "aggressively" the Western Powers reserved the right to get involved.

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Wikipedia