Battle of Chesma

Overview

The Battle of Chesma took place on 5–7 July 1770 during the near and in Çeşme, in the area between the western tip of Anatolia and the island of Chios, which was the site of a number of past naval battles between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. It was a part of the Orlov revolt of 1770, a precursor to the later Greek War of Independence (1821–1829), and the first of a number of disastrous fleet battles for the Ottomans against Russia. Today it is commemorated as a Day of Military Honour in Russia.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Chesma, fought between the western tip of Anatolia and the island of Chios, marked the first in a series of disastrous Ottoman fleet engagements against Russia during the Sixth Russo-Turkish War. Ottoman casualties reached approximately 11,000 against a force of 1,300, reflecting the scale of the naval destruction inflicted. The battle was part of the Orlov revolt of 1770, an episode that prefigured the Greek War of Independence by more than fifty years, and demonstrated Russia's capacity to project naval power into Ottoman-controlled waters in the eastern Mediterranean. The engagement established a pattern of Russian naval dominance over the Ottomans in this conflict and is recognized in Russia as a Day of Military Honour.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (6)