Battle of Sinop

Overview

The Battle of Sinop, or the Battle of Sinope, was a naval battle that took place on 30 November 1853 between Imperial Russia and the Ottoman Empire during the opening phase of the Crimean War (1853–1856). It took place at Sinop, a sea port on the southern shore of the Black Sea. A Russian squadron attacked and decisively defeated an Ottoman squadron anchored in Sinop's harbor. The Russian force consisted of six ships of the line, two frigates and three armed steamers, led by Admiral Pavel Nakhimov; the Ottoman defenders were seven frigates, three corvettes and two armed steamers, commanded by Vice Admiral Osman Pasha.

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

Significance

The Battle of Sinop was a decisive Russian naval victory in the opening phase of the Crimean War, fought when a Russian squadron under Admiral Pavel Nakhimov attacked an Ottoman squadron anchored in Sinop harbor on the Black Sea's southern shore. The Russian force of six ships of the line, two frigates, and three armed steamers engaged and overwhelmed an Ottoman defense of seven frigates, three corvettes, and two armed steamers commanded by Vice Admiral Osman Pasha, inflicting Ottoman casualties estimated between 3,000 and 5,000. The destruction of the Ottoman squadron at anchor removed a significant naval force from the Black Sea theatre at the war's outset and demonstrated Russian dominance over Ottoman naval power in that body of water. The engagement drew international attention, contributing to the pressure on Britain and France to enter the conflict on the Ottoman side, directly shaping the war's expansion beyond a bilateral Russo-Ottoman contest.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (3)