The assault on Arabat
A detachment of General Shcherbatov on May 27, 1771 set out to Genichesk in order to break through to the Crimea simultaneously with the main forces of Dolgorukov. The detachment consisted of one infantry regiment, two grenadier companies, 100 rangers, 8 squadrons of regular cavalry under the command of Colonel Depreradovich and about 1,500 Cossacks. A total of about 3, 5 thousand people.
On June 12, the detachment was in Genichesk. The next day, a bridge was built across the Genichesky Strait. For its device, boats were used, which were delivered with the help of the Azov flotilla. On June 14, Shcherbatov set out along the Arabat Spit, and on the 17th the Russians reached Arabat. On the evening of June 17, two batteries were built with the aim of destroying the fortifications of the fortress and weakening enemy resistance. The Russian detachment was divided into three groups: the Cossacks under the command of Major Burnashev, the cavalry of Colonel Depreradovich and the infantry of Shcherbatov.
The fortress had five bastions, an earthen rampart and a dry moat. Inside there were stone buildings that could be defended. The gate was alone. On the west side, the fortress was covered by a marshland, on the east - by the Black Sea. The sea was more than 100 meters, which the Turks covered with a stone wall and a barricade. The space between the Rotten Sea and the fortress was also covered by a field fortification with a battery.
On the night of June 18, 1771, Shcherbatov divided the infantry into three columns: the 1st column of Major Raevsky was sent along the Black Sea, one was supposed to take the barricade and break into the fortress; Colonel Taube's 2nd column was to take the western bastion and the gate in the earthworks; The colonel's 3rd column received the task of bypassing the fortress and taking the main gate.
The Ottomans, discovering the attack, opened fire. But the 1st and 2nd columns, without slowing down, went on an assault and broke into the fortress. The 3rd column followed the 2nd through the gate of the fortification and, bypassing the swamp, moved to the main gate. The enemy could not stand the battle and fled. Shcherbatov sent cavalry in pursuit, which killed more than 500 men. 6 banners and 50 guns were Russian trophies.
Occupation of Kerch and Yenikale
Taking Arabat, Prince Shcherbatov set out for Kerch. Kerch had a castle with a stone wall with towers and a moat. But the fortress was dilapidated. Kerch was captured on June 20 without resistance. After the fall of Perekop and Arabat, the Turks and Crimeans were completely demoralized and dispersed. Having occupied Kerch, they set up a battery to keep the Kerch Strait at gunpoint. On June 22, our troops also occupied Yenikale. There was also a fortified stone castle, but the enemy did not offer resistance.
Thus, Russian troops captured the passage from the Azov Sea to the Black Sea. To further strengthen our position in the strait zone, it was necessary to capture the castle on the Taman Peninsula. This made it possible to keep the strait under fire from both sides. Leaving the garrisons in the occupied fortresses, on July 11, Shcherbatov, with the help of the Azov flotilla, crossed the strait and occupied Taman without a fight. Leaving a garrison in the Taman castle, at the end of July Prince Shcherbatov returned to Kerch. The total losses of Shcherbatov's detachment were only 13 killed and 45 wounded, trophies - 116 guns.
For the conquest of Arabat, Prince Fyodor Fedorovich Shcherbatov was awarded the rank of lieutenant general, awarded the military order of St. George 3rd degree. For Kerch, Yenikale and Taman Shcherbatov was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 1st degree. After the conquest of the Crimea, Shcherbatov was left on the peninsula by the main commander.
Actions by Brown's squad
Taking Perekop (How Dolgorukov stormed the Perekop line), Dolgorukov sent a detachment of General Brown (2, 5 thousand people) to Evpatoria.
Brown was to occupy an important point on the peninsula and cover the right flank of the main forces. On June 22, the Russians occupied Kozlev without a fight. The Crimeans, having learned about the approach of the enemy, fled to the mountains. Leaving a small garrison in the city, Brown went to the Cafe to join the main forces. The Russians were going to the Salgir River and then they were going to get out on the road going from Perekop to Cafe.
Turks and Tatars, scattered after the fall of Perekop and Arabat, gathered in the mountains, on the route of Brown's 2,000-strong detachment. A 60,000-strong horde gathered. The Crimeans decided to attack Brown's detachment, hoping to suppress the enemy with their numbers.
On June 24, the Tatar cavalry attacked the Russians, who formed a square. There were up to 800 Turkish prisoners inside, which worsened the situation. Nevertheless, the Russians continued their march. The Tatars surrounded the detachment. The Russians fought back with rifle and cannon fire. This continued until June 29. Seeing the senselessness of their actions, the Crimeans scattered over the mountains again. The losses of Brown's detachment during these days - only 7 killed and 8 wounded, the loss of the Tatars - several hundred people.
Causes of the defeat of the Crimean horde
The dispersion of the Russian troops could be a mistake, especially with regard to the units of Brown and Shcherbatov, if the enemy was more skillful and decisive. However, the Crimeans were, in essence, highway robbers. Their tactics are quick raids, robbery, and taking peaceful people to the brink for sale. The Crimean horde avoided direct clashes and, if it could not confuse the enemy with the first bulk of its cavalry, then immediately left. Therefore, even small Russian regular detachments easily crushed large masses of the enemy's irregular cavalry.
The Crimean elite got used to the fact that the Russians come to Crimea and then leave, even if they successfully penetrated the peninsula. This was the case in 1736 and 1737, when the armies of Minich and Lassi broke through to the Crimea, but left due to supply problems and the outbreak of an epidemic. A large desert space (Wild Field) was defended by the Crimean Khanate for a long time.
Also, earlier the allies of the Crimeans and the Ottomans were the small Tatar hordes, which covered the peninsula itself from the north. But now the situation has changed radically. The Russians created New Russia, reclaimed previously deserted lands, and approached Crimea with supply bases nearby. The Tatars of the Budzhak, Edisan, Edichkul and Dzhambulak hordes, allied to Bakhchisarai, were separated from Turkey and came under the patronage of Russia. This significantly weakened the defensive potential of the Crimea.
And the Crimean nobility continued to fight for power, intrigued, lived as before, not believing that their time had passed. Bakhchisarai and Constantinople did not prepare the peninsula for defense. The Perekop line could become a serious obstacle if it were defended by the Janissaries or other regular troops. If the Turks had erected several powerful fortresses in the Crimea, like Ishmael on the Danube, placed strong and well-equipped garrisons there, a rather small Russian army would have scattered its forces to besiege the fortresses. The Crimeans would have the opportunity to influence Russian communications, and the Turks would have been able to transfer reinforcements by sea (under the dominance of their fleet). Without supplies and constantly attacked from the rear, the Russians would have been forced to withdraw from the peninsula.
However, the crossing over the Sivash at Genichesk actually had no fortifications. The Arabat fortress, despite its importance, had such a weak garrison that it fled at the first attack of the enemy. The Turkish command, whose attention was riveted on the Danube Theater, missed the possibility of losing the Crimea. Turkish troops in the Crimea, under the command of Ibrahim Pasha, were garrisoned in the coastal fortresses and had low combat capability, and were also poorly armed. First-class forces fought on the Danube and stood in the capital. In fact, the Turks in Crimea were engaged in controlling the Crimeans. The protection of the peninsula was given to the Tatars. Earlier, in previous wars, the Crimean hordes were offensive and were not ready for the situation when the Russians came and relatively easily occupied the main fortresses of the peninsula.
The Crimean Khan Selim-Girey, having suffered a defeat at Perekop, fled to Bakhchisarai. On the way, all the Crimean murzas left him. The army was completely dispersed, the khan had a few guards left. Selim fled to Constantinople. His example was followed by the most distinguished people, who left for Rumelia (the Balkans) or Anatolia. The Crimeans pinned all their hopes on Turkish help. A Turkish squadron with a landing under the command of Abaza Pasha arrived in the Crimea. But upon learning that the defense had collapsed and the Russians were rapidly advancing, Abaza Pasha did not dare to land. The squadron went to Sinop. For this, the Turkish commander was executed. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Pasha pulled off all the Turkish garrisons from the fortresses and assembled a 10 thousand corps at Karasubazar. Then the Turks went to the Cafe, where Dolgorukov was heading.
The fall of Kafa
Taking Perekop and setting up a rear base there, on June 17, 1771, Dolgorukov's troops marched on Kafa. Fearing an attack by the numerous Crimean cavalry on the march, which was possible for an enemy who knew the area well, the Russian commander followed three divisional columns. Artillery followed in the vanguard, carts were located between the columns. We moved in forced marches in order to quickly overcome the waterless terrain. On June 21, the troops reached the Salgir River, where they stopped to rest. On June 23, the army continued to move, crossing Salgir across four pontoon bridges. On June 29 (July 10) Dolgorukov approached the Cafe.
The city had an outer stone wall and an inner one. The outer wall has been badly destroyed by time. The inner fortress with the citadel on the north side by the sea was in the best condition. The sea also had a field fortification with two batteries. The Cafe had many stone buildings that could also be prepared for defense. But on the whole, the city was not ready for a siege. When on June 29 Dolgorukov's troops reached the Cafe, the Crimean cavalry attacked the vanguard. The commander reinforced the vanguard with cavalry, and the enemy retreated to the fortress.
The Russian prince decided to attack the enemy on the move. The infantry was built in three lines, the cavalry was placed between the first and second lines and on the flanks, the artillery - in front of the flanks of the first line. Russian troops went to the field fortification and opened strong artillery fire. After the very first shots, the enemy fled. Our troops occupied the trenches. Dolgoruky sent part of his light forces along the coast to cut off the fleeing enemies from the fortress. Part of the Turkish and Tatar troops fled to the mountains or threw themselves into the sea to get to the ships stationed here. The Russians set up batteries on the shore and drove off the enemy ships. All Tatars and Turks who threw themselves into the sea drowned.
In the meantime, the Russians had placed cannons on the heights of the fortress. The Turkish garrison, completely demoralized by the death of field troops and the departure of ships, capitulated. Among those who surrendered was Ibrahim Pasha. 65 cannons became our trophies in the Cafe. Dolgorukov's losses - 1 killed and 55 wounded. Losses of Turks and Tatars - 3, 5 thousand people killed and drowned, 700 people surrendered. The rest fled.
Dolgorukov set up camp at Kafa and soon joined up with Brown's detachment.
Thus, in June 1771, the Russian army broke the rather weak resistance of the enemy and occupied the main cities of the Crimean peninsula. Crimea was completely conquered.
There were no pockets of resistance left. It was only necessary to consolidate its position on the peninsula. The Azov flotilla got the opportunity to enter the Black Sea. To protect the Kerch Strait, the Pavlovsk battery with heavy cannons was delivered to Kerch.
Dolgorukov sent small detachments to occupy Yalta, Balaklava, Bakhchisarai and Sudak, which were occupied without a fight. Garrisons were set up at all points. The retention of the peninsula was entrusted to Prince Shcherbatov.
On September 5, Dolgorukov, with part of the army and the freed prisoners, left Crimea in the same way and returned to winter quarters in Ukraine.
The Crimean Tatars independently elected Sahib-Gerey, a supporter of allied relations with Russia, as a new khan. The new khan began peace negotiations with Russia, as Catherine the Great wanted.
On November 1 (12), 1772, in Karasubazar, Sahib signed a treaty with Dolgorukov, according to which the Crimea was declared an independent khanate under the patronage of Russia.
Kinburn, Kerch and Yenikale passed to Russia.
The fall of the Crimea was a powerful blow to Constantinople, one of the reasons for the defeat in the war.
