Posted on 12/23/2019 11:35:55 AM PST by NorseViking
The Battle of Tendra was a naval action fought on 8 and 9 September 1790 in the Black Sea as part of the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). It ended in a victory for the Russians over the Ottomans.
The Russian fleet of 10 battleships, 6 frigates and small craft sailed from Sevastopol on 5 September under Fyodor Ushakov for Kherson to pick up some frigates. At 6 a.m. on 8 September it encountered the Ottoman fleet of 14 battleships, 8 frigates and 23 small crafts at anchor near Tendra. As the Ottomans formed into a battle line, the Russian fleet sailed toward the tail end of the Ottoman line in 3 parallel lines, forming into one line as they did so.
The Ottoman admiral, Hussein Pasha, seeing his tail threatened, turned north and came back parallel to the Russians, who followed suit so the two fleets ended up on paralleled tracks, heading north-east. This was completed by about 2 p.m.. Ushakov ordered 3 frigates to the off-battle side of the van to guard against an Ottoman doubling of the Russian line (Ottoman ships of the period were usually coppered and therefore several knots faster than Russian ships), leaving 13 ships of 710 guns in his line, opposed to 14 with 900 guns. Ushakov then turned toward the Ottoman ships and firing began at about 3 p.m..
The Ottomans began to bear away and by 6 p.m. were in full retreat. The Russians followed closely, inflicting much damage - in particular, the Ottoman Vice Admiral's ship was attacked by Ioann Bogoslov, and the Admiral's and Rear-Admiral's ships by Rozhdestvo Christovo and Preobrazhenie Gospodne. The Ottomans speed allowed them to get away though, and soon after 8 p.m. firing ceased and the Russians anchored.
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Some Russian ships had been chasing the rest of the Ottoman fleet but they were losing ground and at about 4:30 p.m. Ushakov recalled them. Russian privateers later brought in 3 small craft. Russian casualties were 25 killed and 25 wounded, and 733 Ottomans were captured. Several ships had minor damage in their masts and rigging. Russian victory in the Battle of Tendra allowed them to control the Black Sea.
1790? That’s impossible. The Russians didn’t have a base in sevastopol crimea up until 2014. Everyone knows that.
ROLFMAO!
The tsarist navy enjoyed an impressive string of victories against the Turks.
If you can find it, I recommend R.C. Anderson’s “Naval Wars in the Levant,” published back in the 1950s, I believe.
I expect that any interested FReeper will need to go to interlibrary loan to get a copy sent from a university collection.
Anderson’s book is rather dry but it has tons of obscure information, including orders of battle listing individual ships.
Of course, there’s always the Wikipedia for quick reference, but I never take the Wikipedia as the last word on anything.
I believe Catherine’s admiral Ushakov was easily one of the most accomplished naval commander of all times. He fought 43 battles mainly against the Turks who were the top naval power, Arab navies, Limey bastards and never lost any. And he usually delivered a crushing defeat. A guy in class of Nimitz easily.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting. History/education BUMP!
You are welcome, see post #5.
I did. Fascinating. Thanks, again.
Black sea naval warfare reminds me of the battles we fought here on the Great Lakes. Kinda a naval oddity.
I think what makes lake battles or black sea battles so unique is that what is there, is there. You won’t so much be surprised by a fleet of Jap battleships speeding through the San Bernardino Straits or the other unexpected arrival of spooky things. Everyone has eyes at the restricted entrances to those places.
You definitely seem to know your history, FRiend Viking.
Ushakov’s “pupil” Dmitri Seniavin figures in a supporting role in Julian Stockwin’s recent novel “Pasha,” which is all about the British attempt to force the Dardanelles in 1807.
Admiral Duckworth failed rather badly, but he was given an absurdly small fleet for such a formidable task.
Seniavin then turned around and gave a Nelsonian drubbing to the savage Turks. Ushakov and Seniavin didn’t have the easiest working relationship, but the younger admiral learned his trade from a master.
I’m guessing you are probably familiar with Stockwin’s long series of novels featuring Captain Sir Thomas Paine Kydd and his friend and sometime shipmate Nicholas Renzi, Earl of Farndon.
“Pasha” was one of my favorites, featuring a lot of shorebound intrigue at the Sublime Porte. Interestingly, it’s the one novel where Stockwin takes some serious liberties with the historical timeline — although he ‘fesses up to everything in his author’s notes.
I assume by “battleships” they mean ships of the line?
Russo-Turkish War was fought in the Med as well. I wouldn’t call a 18th century battle of 30 ships of the line a lake battle too. It was a major naval battle by all accounts.
Yep, a 130 cannon ship of the line was a pretty impressive weapon system by 18th century standard, more so a ship armed with paxhan’s guns.
Before the industrial revolution, square-rigged naval ships were the most complex machines devised by man.
It still is. Try building one using modern labor and expertise. Building a small modern destroyer is an easier task.
Oh, yep. I like Stockwin much:)
“Only 101 men were saved out of 800 on board.”
As the Germans were evacuating the Baltic states and East Prussia towards end of WWII, they lost over 9,000 people - mainly civilians (rescuing less than 1,000) when Soviets torpedoed one ship (Wilhelm Gustloff). They lost thousands on other ships sunk in the same period, but this one to this day is probably the worst naval disaster in history.
Oh yeah, it was indeed a major naval battle. But there is a difference in the way things happen in lakes and inland seas. In a way, it might even be tougher and require a better naval officer. One, you are almost always in range of some sort of immediate land support. Two, there is nowhere to run or get fancy. It’s like two sumo wrestlers inside a ring, or two MMA fighters inside a cage.
You can’t vanish into the vast Atlantic or Pacific.
“Before the industrial revolution, square-rigged naval ships were the most complex machines devised by man.”
It’s hard for us to imagine how they viewed them. We see them as old, and quaint. They probably saw them with awe the way we look at the USS Nimitz.
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