Battle of Cape Kaliakra
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Cape Kaliakra or Battle off Cape Kaliakra was the last naval battle of the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792. It took place on 11 August 1791 off the coast of northern Bulgaria
in the Black Sea
. Neither side lost a ship, but the Ottoman
s retreated to Istanbul
afterwards.
The Russian fleet under Fyodor Ushakov
of 15 battleships and 2 frigates (990 guns) and some small craft sailed from Sevastopol
on 8 August, and at midday on 11 August encountered the Ottoman
-Algerian fleet under Hussein Pasha of 18 battleships and 17 frigates (1,500–1,600 guns) and some smaller craft at anchor just south of Cape Kaliakra. Ushakov sailed, in 3 columns, from the north-east, between the Ottoman
s and the cape, despite the presence on the cape of several guns. Said Ali, the commander of the Algerian ships, weighed anchor and sailed east, followed by Hussein Pasha with the 18 battleships. The Russians then turned around south to a parallel east-south-east course and formed up mostly into 1 line, with Ushakov in 3rd position and one ship out of line on the off-battle side. Said Ali, leading the line, turned north to try to double the Russian van, but Ushakov sailed out of the line and attacked him, as the rest of the Russian fleet approached. This was at 4.45 p.m.. Gradually the Turks turned to the south and when darkness put an end to fighting at 8.30 p.m. they were in full retreat to Istanbul. Russian casualties were 17 killed and 28 wounded, and Sv. Aleksandr Nevskii was damaged.
Ioann Predtecha 74 (John the Precursor
)
Maria Magdalina 66 (Mary Magdalene
)
Preobrazhenie Gospodne 66 (Transfiguration of the Lord
)
Sv. Pavel 66 (St Paul)
Sv. Vladimir 66 (St Vladimir)
Leontii Mutchenik 62 (Martyr Leonty
)
Sv. Aleksandr Nevskii 50 (St Alexander Nevsky
)
Sv. Andrei Pervozvannyi 50 (St Andrew
the First-called)
Sv. Nikolai 50 (St Nicholas
)
Feodor Stratilat 46 (Theodore Stratelates
)
Ioann Bogoslov 46 (John the Theologian
)
Navarchia Voznesenie Gospodne 46 (Navarch
y Ascension of the Lord)
Sv. Petr Apostol 46 (St Peter the Apostle
)
Tsar Konstantin 46 (Tsar Constantine)
Fanagoria 40 (Phanagoria)
Makropolea Sv. Mark Evangelist 36
Rozhdestvo Christovo (The Birth of Christ) (bomb)
Sv. Ieronim (St Jerome
) (bomb)
? (fireship)
? (repeater ship)
Panagia Apotumengana (Panagia
of Taman
) (privateer) 14
16 privateers
10 large frigates
7 smaller frigates
43 small
Tactics used by Ushakov, was a serious innovation in the theory of sea fight. After that similar maneuver used admiral Nelson in Battle at Aboukir in 1798 and Trafalgar battle in 1805.
For a victory at Kaliakrii Sacred Alexander Nevsky's award has been welcomed F.F. Ushakov.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. Neither side lost a ship, but the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
s retreated to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
afterwards.
The Russian fleet under Fyodor Ushakov
Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov
Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov was the most illustrious Russian naval commander and admiral of the 18th century.- Life and naval career :...
of 15 battleships and 2 frigates (990 guns) and some small craft sailed from Sevastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
on 8 August, and at midday on 11 August encountered the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
-Algerian fleet under Hussein Pasha of 18 battleships and 17 frigates (1,500–1,600 guns) and some smaller craft at anchor just south of Cape Kaliakra. Ushakov sailed, in 3 columns, from the north-east, between the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
s and the cape, despite the presence on the cape of several guns. Said Ali, the commander of the Algerian ships, weighed anchor and sailed east, followed by Hussein Pasha with the 18 battleships. The Russians then turned around south to a parallel east-south-east course and formed up mostly into 1 line, with Ushakov in 3rd position and one ship out of line on the off-battle side. Said Ali, leading the line, turned north to try to double the Russian van, but Ushakov sailed out of the line and attacked him, as the rest of the Russian fleet approached. This was at 4.45 p.m.. Gradually the Turks turned to the south and when darkness put an end to fighting at 8.30 p.m. they were in full retreat to Istanbul. Russian casualties were 17 killed and 28 wounded, and Sv. Aleksandr Nevskii was damaged.
Russia (Ushakov)
Rozhdestvo Christovo 84 (The Birth of Christ) (flag)Ioann Predtecha 74 (John the Precursor
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
)
Maria Magdalina 66 (Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
)
Preobrazhenie Gospodne 66 (Transfiguration of the Lord
Transfiguration of Jesus
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
)
Sv. Pavel 66 (St Paul)
Sv. Vladimir 66 (St Vladimir)
Leontii Mutchenik 62 (Martyr Leonty
Saint Leontius
Saints Leontius, Hypatius and Theodulus were Roman soldiers who, according to Christian tradition, were martyred for their faith.Leontius was Greek by origin, and served as an officer of the imperial army in the Phoenician city of Tripoli during the reign of Vespasian...
)
Sv. Aleksandr Nevskii 50 (St Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history. Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military...
)
Sv. Andrei Pervozvannyi 50 (St Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
the First-called)
Sv. Nikolai 50 (St Nicholas
Saint Nicholas (disambiguation)
Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra.Saint Nicholas may also refer to:*Pope Nicholas I , a.k.a...
)
Feodor Stratilat 46 (Theodore Stratelates
Theodore Stratelates
Theodore Stratelates , also known as Theodore of Heraclea, is a martyr and Warrior Saint venerated with the title Great-martyr in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Catholic and Roman Catholic Churches....
)
Ioann Bogoslov 46 (John the Theologian
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
)
Navarchia Voznesenie Gospodne 46 (Navarch
Navarch
Navarch is a Greek word meaning "leader of the ships", which in some states became the title of an office equivalent to that of a modern admiral.- Historical usage :...
y Ascension of the Lord)
Sv. Petr Apostol 46 (St Peter the Apostle
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
)
Tsar Konstantin 46 (Tsar Constantine)
Fanagoria 40 (Phanagoria)
Makropolea Sv. Mark Evangelist 36
Rozhdestvo Christovo (The Birth of Christ) (bomb)
Sv. Ieronim (St Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
) (bomb)
? (fireship)
? (repeater ship)
Panagia Apotumengana (Panagia
Panagia
Panagia , also transliterated Panayia or Panaghia, is one of the titles of Mary, the mother of Jesus, used especially in Orthodox Christianity....
of Taman
Taman, Russia
Taman is a village in Temryuksky District of Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the coast of the Taman Bay. Population: -History:Taman occupies the site of the ancient cities of Hermonassa and Tmutarakan...
) (privateer) 14
16 privateers
Ottoman Turkey/Algeria/Tripoli (Hussein Pasha)
18 battleships10 large frigates
7 smaller frigates
43 small
Consequence
Battle has approached the end of Russian-Turkish war which has ended with signing of the Jassky peace treaty.Tactics used by Ushakov, was a serious innovation in the theory of sea fight. After that similar maneuver used admiral Nelson in Battle at Aboukir in 1798 and Trafalgar battle in 1805.
For a victory at Kaliakrii Sacred Alexander Nevsky's award has been welcomed F.F. Ushakov.