"Well done, our sailors, they are as kind as they are brave!"
L. P. Geiden
190 years ago, on October 8, 1827, a Russian squadron with the support of allied British and French ships destroyed the Turkish-Egyptian fleet at Navarino. Greece soon found its freedom.
Background
One of the central questions of the then world politics was the Eastern question, the question of the future of the Ottoman Empire and the "Turkish inheritance". The Turkish Empire was rapidly degrading and subjected to destructive processes. The peoples, previously subordinated to the military might of the Ottomans, began to withdraw from subordination and fought for independence. Greece revolted in 1821. Despite all the brutality and terror of the Turkish troops, the Greeks continued to fight. In 1824, Turkey requested assistance from the Egyptian Khedive Muhammad Ali, who had just carried out serious reforms of the Egyptian army according to European standards. Porta promised to make big concessions on Syria if Ali helps suppress the Greek uprising. As a result, Muhammad Ali sent a fleet with troops and his adopted son Ibrahim.
Turkish and Egyptian troops and navy crushed the uprising. The Greeks, in whose ranks there was no unity, were defeated. The country was turned into a desert, drenched in blood, thousands of peaceful Greeks were massacred and enslaved. The Turkish sultan Mahmul and the Egyptian ruler Ali planned to completely exterminate the population of Morea. The Greeks were threatened with genocide. Famine and plague raged in Greece, claiming more lives than the war itself. The destruction of the Greek fleet, which performed important intermediary functions in the trade of southern Russia through the straits, caused great damage to all European trade. Meanwhile, in European countries, especially in England and France, and of course in Russia, sympathy for the Greek patriots was growing. Volunteers went to Greece, donations were collected. European military advisers were sent to help the Greeks. The British took the lead in the Greek military.
In St. Petersburg at this time, where Nikolai Pavlovich took the throne in 1825, they thought about an alliance with England directed against Turkey. Nicholas I, right up to the Eastern (Crimean) one, tried to find a common language with London on the issue of the division of Turkey into spheres of influence. Russia was supposed to get the straits in the end. The British wanted to once again play off Russia and Turkey, but at the same time the Russians should not have destroyed the Turkish Empire and, above all, should not have gained advantages in the liberated Greece and in the straits zone. However, the Russian tsar was not going to single-handedly oppose Turkey; on the contrary, she wanted to draw England into confrontation. On April 4, 1826, the British envoy in St. Petersburg, Wellington, signed a protocol on the Greek question. Greece was supposed to become a special state, the sultan remained the supreme overlord, but the Greeks received their government, legislation, etc. The status of a vassal of Greece was expressed in an annual tribute. Russia and England pledged to support each other in the implementation of this plan. According to the Petersburg Protocol, neither Russia nor England should have made any territorial acquisitions in their favor in the event of a war with Turkey. It is interesting that although England agreed to an alliance with Russia on the Greek issue, at the same time London continued to "crap" the Russians. To divert the attention of the Russians from the affairs of Turkey, the British in 1826 provoked the Russo-Persian War.
The French, worried that great things were being decided without their participation, asked to join the union. As a result, three great powers began to cooperate against Turkey. But the Turkish government continued to persist. This was understandable - Greece was of great military and strategic importance for the Ottoman Empire. The loss of Greece meant a threat to the capital of Constantinople, Istanbul and the straits. Porta hoped for contradictions between the great powers, the British, Russian and French had too different interests in the region to find a common language. London at that time offered to limit itself to the severance of diplomatic relations with Turkey, if this position was accepted by the rest of the European powers. However, the firm position of Russia forced Britain and France to take more decisive actions. The British feared that Russia alone would defend Greece.
Battle of Navarino, National History Museum, Athens, Greece
Sea voyage
In 1827, a three-power convention was adopted in London supporting the independence of Greece. At the insistence of the Russian government, secret articles were attached to this convention. They envisaged the sending of the allied fleet to exert military-political pressure on the Porto, to prevent the delivery of new Turkish-Egyptian troops to Greece and to establish contact with the Greek rebels.
In accordance with this agreement, on June 10, 1827, the Baltic squadron under the command of Admiral D. N. Senyavin consisting of 9 battleships, 7 frigates, 1 corvette and 4 brigs left Kronstadt for England. On August 8, a squadron under the command of Rear Admiral L. P. Heyden consisting of 4 battleships, 4 frigates, 1 corvette and 4 brigs, allocated from the squadron of Admiral Senyavin for joint operations with the British and French squadrons against Turkey, left Portsmouth for the Archipelago … The rest of Senyavin's squadron returned to the Baltic Sea. On October 1, Heyden's squadron was connected with an English squadron under the command of Vice Admiral Codrington and a French squadron under the command of Rear Admiral de Rigny off the island of Zante. From where, under the general command of Vice-Admiral Codrington, as a senior in the rank, the combined fleet headed to Navarino Bay, where the Turkish-Egyptian fleet was under the command of Ibrahim Pasha.
On October 5, the allied fleet arrived at the Navarino Bay. On October 6, an ultimatum was sent to the Turkish-Egyptian command for an immediate cessation of hostilities against the Greeks. The Turks refused to accept the ultimatum, after which, at the military council of the Allied squadron, it was decided, having entered the Navarino Bay, to anchor against the Turkish fleet and, by their presence, force the enemy command to make concessions.
Thus, at the beginning of October 1827, the combined Anglo-French-Russian fleet under the command of the British Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Codrington blocked the Turkish-Egyptian fleet under the command of Ibrahim Pasha in the Navarino Bay. The Russian and French rear admirals Count Login Petrovich Heyden and Chevalier de Rigny were subordinate to Codrington. For many years Codrington served under the command of the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson. In the Battle of Trafalgar, he commanded the 64-gun ship Orion.
Count Login Petrovich Heyden (1773 - 1850)
Forces of the parties
The Russian squadron consisted of the 74-gun battleships "Azov", "Ezekiel" and "Alexander Nevsky", the 84-gun ship "Gangut", the frigates "Konstantin", "Provorny", "Castor" and "Elena". In total, there were 466 guns on Russian ships and frigates. The British squadron consisted of the battleships Asia, Genoa and Albion, frigates Glasgow, Combrienne, Dartmouth and several small ships. The British had a total of 472 guns. The French squadron consisted of 74-gun battleships Scipio, Trident and Breslavl, frigates Sirena, Armida and two small ships. In total, the French squadron had 362 guns. In total, the allied fleet consisted of ten ships of the line, nine frigates, one sloop and seven small ships with 1308 guns and 11,010 crew.
The Turkish-Egyptian fleet was under the direct command of Mogarem-bey (Mukharrem-bey). Ibrahim Pasha was the commander-in-chief of the Turkish-Egyptian troops and fleet. The Turkish-Egyptian fleet stood in the Navarino Bay on two anchors in a formation in the form of a compressed crescent, the "horns" of which stretched from the Navarino fortress to the battery of the Sfakteria island. The Turks had three Turkish ships of the line (86-, 84- and 76-cannon, a total of 246 cannons and 2,700 crew members); five double-deck 64-gun Egyptian frigates (320 guns); fifteen Turkish 50- and 48-gun frigates (736 guns); three Tunisian 36-gun frigates and a 20-gun brig (128 guns); forty-two 24-gun corvettes (1008 guns); fourteen 20- and 18-gun brigs (252 guns). In total, the Turkish fleet consisted of 83 warships, more than 2,690 cannons and 28,675 crew members. In addition, the Turkish-Egyptian fleet had ten fire-ships and 50 transport ships. Battleships (3 units) and frigates (23 ships) made up the first line, corvettes and brigs (57 ships) were in the second and third lines. Fifty transports and merchant ships anchored under the southeastern coast of the Seas. The entrance to the bay, about half a mile wide, was shot through by batteries from the Navarino fortress and the island of Sfakteria (165 guns). Both flanks were covered by fire ships (ships loaded with fuel and explosives). In front of the ships, barrels with a combustible mixture were installed. Ibrahim Pasha's headquarters was located on a hill from which the entire Navarinskaya Bay was viewed.
In general, the position of the Turkish-Egyptian fleet was strong, and was supported by a fortress and coastal batteries, and the Ottomans had more artillery, including coastal ones. The weak point was the crowding of ships and vessels, there were few ships of the line. If we count the number of barrels, then the Turkish-Egyptian fleet had more than a thousand more guns, but in terms of the power of naval artillery, the superiority remained with the allied fleet, and significant. The ten Allied battleships, armed with 36-pound guns, were much stronger than the Turkish frigates armed with 24-pounders, and especially the corvettes. Standing in the third line, and even more so off the coast, the Turkish ships could not shoot because of the great distances and fear of hitting their own ships. And the poor training of the Turkish-Egyptian crews in comparison with the first-class allied fleet could lead to disaster. However, the Turkish-Egyptian command was convinced of the strength of its position, covered by coastal artillery and fire-ships, as well as the large number of ships and guns. Therefore, we decided to take the fight.
Rapprochement with the enemy
Codrington hoped to force the enemy to accept the demands of the allies by demonstrating force (without the use of weapons). To this end, he sent a squadron to the Navarino Bay. 8 (20) October 1827 at eleven o'clock in the morning a light south-south-west blew and the allies immediately began to form in two columns. The right consisted of the English and French squadrons under the command of Vice Admiral Codrington. They lined up in the following order: "Asia" (under the flag of Vice Admiral Codrington, there were 86 guns on the ship); Genoa (74 guns); Albion (74 guns); "Siren" (under the flag of Rear Admiral de Rigny, 60 guns); Scipio (74 guns); "Trident" (74 guns); "Breslavl" (74 guns).
The Russian (leeward) squadron lined up in the following order: "Azov" (under the flag of Rear Admiral Count Heyden, 74 guns); "Gangut" (84 guns); Ezekiel (74 guns); Alexander Nevsky (74 guns); Elena (36 guns); "Agile" (44 guns); Castor (36 guns); "Constantine" (44 guns). Captain Thomas Fells 'detachment marched in this order: Dartmouth (Captain Fells' flag, 50 guns); "Rose" (18 guns); Philomel (18 guns); "Mosquito" (14 guns); Brisk (14 guns); Alsiona (14 guns); Daphne (14 guns); "Gind" (10 guns); Armida (44 guns); Glasgow (50 guns); Combrienne (48 guns); Talbot (32 guns).
At the time when the allied fleet began to form in columns, the French admiral with his ship was closest to the Navarino Bay. His squadron was under the wind in the area of the islands of Sfakteria and Prodano. Following them were the British, followed by the Russian admiral's ship at the closest distance, and behind him in battle formation and in proper order - his entire squadron. At about noon, Codrington ordered the French ships to turn overstag consistently and enter the wake of the English squadron. At the same time, the Russian squadron had to let them pass, for which Codrington sent his flag officer on a boat to Heiden with the order to drift in order to let the French ahead. After rebuilding, transmitting the signal "Prepare for battle!"
Count Login Petrovich Heyden followed the instructions of the vice admiral. He reduced the distance in the column, and gave the signal for the rear ships to add sails. Codrington's actions were then explained in different ways: some believed that he did it deliberately in order to endanger the Russian squadron. Others said that there was no malice, everything was simple: the British admiral thought that it was risky to enter through a narrow strait in two columns at the same time. Anything could happen: a run aground, and the beginning of a battle at the moment the ships entered the Navarino Bay. A simpler and less risky maneuver was to consistently enter the bay in one wake column. Codrington settled on this option. Besides, no one knew when the battle would begin. There was also hope of avoiding battle. The Ottomans had to bow down under the power of the allied fleet. However, it so happened that the battle began when Russian ships began to be drawn into the Navarino harbor.
With the arrival on the raid, Codrington sent an envoy to the commanders of the Turkish fire ships, who were standing on both sides of the entrance to the bay, with a demand to withdraw inland. However, when the boat approached the nearest fire-ship, they opened rifle fire from the latter and killed the envoy. Following this, they opened fire from Turkish ships and coastal batteries located at the entrance, past which at that moment a column of Russian ships passed. Rear Admiral Heiden was on the quarterdeck, he always remained calm and calm. Skillfully maneuvering, the Russian admiral led his entire squadron into the bay. The Russian squadron, without opening fire, despite the crossfire of coastal batteries and ships of the first line of the Turkish-Egyptian fleet, located in two lines in the depths of the bay in a crescent formation, passed through a narrow passage and took its place according to the intended disposition. After the Allied ships took their positions, Vice Admiral Codrington sent a parliamentarian to Admiral Mogarem Bey (Mukharem Bey) with a proposal to stop shelling the Allied ships, but this envoy was also killed. Then the ships of the allies returned fire.
Battle
A naval battle began, which for four hours turned Navarino Bay into hell. Everything was drowned in thick smoke, guns were firing, the water in the bay heaved from the shells falling into it. The roar, screams, the crackle of falling masts and boards torn apart by cannonballs, fires that began. The Turkish and Egyptian admirals were convinced of success. The Turkish coastal batteries tightly covered the only exit to the sea from the Navarino Bay with their fire, it seemed that the allied fleet had fallen into a trap and would be completely destroyed. Double superiority in power promised victory to the Turkish-Egyptian fleet. However, everything was decided by skill and determination.
The finest hour has come for the Russian fleet and its commander, Rear Admiral Login Petrovich Heyden. A flurry of fire fell on the ships of the Russian and British squadrons. The flagship Azov had to fight at once against five enemy ships. The French ship "Breslavl" brought him out of the dangerous situation. Having recovered, "Azov" began to smash the flagship of the Egyptian squadron of Admiral Mogarem-bey with all its guns. Soon this ship caught fire and from the explosion of powder magazines took off into the air, setting fire to other ships of its squadron.
A participant in the battle, the future Admiral Nakhimov described the beginning of the battle as follows: “At 3 o'clock we anchored in the designated place and turned the spring along the side of the enemy battleship and a two-deck frigate under the Turkish admiral's flag and another frigate. They opened fire from the starboard side … "Gangut" in the smoke pulled the line a little, then quieted down and was an hour late to arrive at its place. At this time, we withstood the fire of six ships and exactly all those that were supposed to occupy our ships … It seemed that all hell unfolded before us! There was no place where knipples, cannonballs and buckshot would not fall. And if the Turks didn’t beat us a lot on the spars, but beat us all in the corps, then I am confidently sure that we would not have left even half of the team. It was necessary to fight truly with special courage in order to withstand all this fire and defeat the opponents … ".
The flagship "Azov" under the command of Captain 1st Rank Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev became the hero of this battle. The Russian ship, fighting 5 enemy ships, destroyed them: it sank 2 large frigates and 1 corvette, burned the flagship frigate under the flag of Takhir Pasha, forced the 80-gun ship of the line to run aground, after which it lit and blew it up. In addition, "Azov" destroyed the flagship of the battleship Mogarem-bey, which was operating against the British flagship. The ship received 153 hits, 7 of them below the waterline. The ship was completely repaired and restored only by March 1828. The future Russian naval commanders, heroes of Sinop and the Sevastopol defense of 1854-1855, showed themselves on the Azov during the battle: Lieutenant Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, Warrant Officer Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov and midshipman Vladimir Ivanovich Istomin. For military exploits in battle, the battleship "Azov" for the first time in the Russian fleet was awarded the stern St. George flag.
The Azov commander MP Lazarev deserved the highest praise. In his report, LP Geiden wrote: "The fearless captain of the 1st rank Lazarev controlled the movements of Azov with composure, skill and exemplary courage." PS Nakhimov wrote about his commander: “I still did not know the price of our captain. It was necessary to look at him during the battle, with what prudence, with what composure he used everywhere. But I do not have enough words to describe all his commendable deeds, and I am confidently sure that the Russian fleet did not have such a captain."
The powerful ship of the Russian squadron "Gangut" also distinguished itself under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Alexander Pavlovich Avinov, who sank two Turkish ships and one Egyptian frigate. The battleship "Alexander Nevsky" captured a Turkish frigate. The battleship Ezekiel, assisting with the fire of the battleship Gangut, destroyed the enemy fire-ship. In general, the Russian squadron destroyed the entire center and right flank of the enemy fleet. She took the main blow of the enemy and destroyed most of his ships.
Within three hours, the Turkish fleet, despite stubborn resistance, was completely destroyed. Affected by the skill level of the allied commanders, crews and gunners. In total, more than fifty enemy ships were destroyed during the battle. The Ottomans themselves drowned the surviving ships the next day. In his report on the Battle of Navarino, Rear Admiral Count Heyden wrote: “Three allied fleets competed in bravery one another. There has never been such a sincere unanimity between different nations. Mutual benefits were delivered with unwritten activities. Under Navarino, the glory of the English fleet appeared in a new splendor, and on the French squadron, starting with Admiral Rigny, all the officers and servants showed rare examples of courage and fearlessness. The captains and other officers of the Russian squadron performed their duty with exemplary zeal, courage and contempt for all dangers, the lower ranks distinguished themselves by courage and obedience, which are worthy of imitation."
M. P. Lazarev - the first commander of "Azov"
Outcomes
The allies did not lose a single ship. Most of all in the Battle of Navarino suffered the flagship of the British squadron ship "Asia", which lost almost all of its sails and received many holes, and two Russian ships: "Gangut" and "Azov". On "Azov" all masts were broken, the ship received dozens of holes. The British suffered the greatest losses in manpower. Two parliamentarians were killed, one officer and three were wounded, including the son of Vice Admiral Codrington. Two of the Russian officers were killed and 18 wounded. Among the French officers, only the commander of the ship "Breslavl" was slightly wounded. In total, the allies lost 175 killed and 487 wounded.
The Turks lost almost the entire fleet - more than 60 ships and up to 7 thousand people. The news of the Navarino battle horrified the Turks and delighted the Greeks. However, even after the Battle of Navarino, England and France did not go to war with Turkey, which persisted on the Greek issue. Porta, seeing the disagreements in the ranks of the great European powers, stubbornly refused to give the Greeks autonomy, and to comply with agreements with Russia regarding freedom of trade through the Black Sea straits, as well as the rights of Russians in the affairs of the Danubian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. This in 1828 led to a new war between Russia and Turkey.
Thus, the defeat of the Turkish-Egyptian fleet significantly weakened the naval power of Turkey, which contributed to the victory of Russia in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. The battle of Navarino provided support for the Greek national liberation movement, which resulted in the autonomy of Greece under the Adrianople Peace Treaty of 1829 (de facto Greece became independent).
Aivazovsky I. K. "Sea battle at Navarino"
