Battle of Athos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Athos |
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| Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812) | |||||||
 The Battle of Athos by Alexey Bogolyubov |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Russian Empire |
 Ottoman Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Dmitry Senyavin Aleksey Greig |
 Seydi Ali Pasha Bekir Bey (POW) |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 10 ships of the line | 10 ships of the line, 5 frigates, 3 sloops, 2 brigs | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 78 killed, 172 wounded | 3 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 2 sloops | ||||||
The Battle of Athos was an important naval battle. It happened on July 1–2, 1807. This battle was part of the bigger Napoleonic Wars. It was also a key event in the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812). The battle took place near Mount Athos and the island of Lemnos.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In December 1806, the Ottoman Empire was led by Sultan Selim III. He felt worried about what Russia was doing. This was all connected to the Napoleonic War. So, the Sultan closed the Turkish Straits to Russian ships. He then declared war on the Russian Empire.
On May 22, 1807, the Russian and Ottoman navies fought. This short sea battle happened near the Dardanelles. After this first battle, the Russian navy kept blocking the strait. This blockade stopped food and supplies from reaching Constantinople. The Russian navy wanted to force the Ottoman navy out. They hoped for a big fight in the open sea.
The Ottoman navy had more ships. But they tried to avoid a direct fight. They stayed safe inside the strait. They only attacked the Russian base on Tenedos when they thought it was safe.
Getting Ready for Battle
The Russian Vice-Admiral, Dmitry Senyavin, wanted to trick the Ottoman navy. He wanted them to come out into the Aegean Sea. So, he made his fleet do many different movements. Sometimes, he would reduce the number of ships near the Dardanelles.
On June 5, Senyavin sent Rear-Admiral Greig to Lemnos. Lemnos is an island about 41 miles from the Dardanelles. Greig had four battleships. Senyavin then called Greig back quickly. He thought the Ottoman navy was coming out.
On June 13, Greig went back to Lemnos. This time, he had five battleships. Russian marines landed on Lemnos for a short time. But by June 18, Greig and his ships were back at Tenedos.
Finally, on June 22, Seyid Ali left the Dardanelles. He was the Grand Admiral of the Ottoman navy. He had 16 ships, including 8 battleships and 5 frigates. He sailed his fleet near Imbros. This island is about 12 miles northwest of the Dardanelles.
Over the next few days, Senyavin tried to reach the Ottoman fleet. But light winds and strong currents made it hard. The Ottoman fleet also kept moving. They always kept a way open to escape back to the Dardanelles. On June 24, Seyid Ali got more ships. He added 2 battleships and 2 frigates to his fleet.
On June 27, Senyavin tried a new plan. He sailed to the west side of Lemnos. The current was weaker there. When Senyavin moved, Seyid Ali attacked Tenedos. His fleet fired at the forts and a ship in the harbor. They also tried to land soldiers on the island. After four hours, the Ottoman fleet left. They moved between Tenedos and the Asian coast.
For the next two days, the Ottoman fleet returned to Tenedos. They fired at the forts again. They also tried to land their marines. At 8 am on June 29, Seyid Ali's ships saw Senyavin's fleet. The Russians were coming from the north. The Turks stopped firing at Tenedos. They quickly sailed west towards Lemnos to escape.
Senyavin reached Tenedos. He spent two days getting supplies for his fleet. He also hunted down small Turkish boats nearby. Senyavin knew the Ottoman ships had gone west. So, on June 30, he left Tenedos. His fleet of 10 battleships sailed north. They continued to block the Dardanelles. By the end of the day, the Russian fleet was six miles north of Lemnos. Early the next morning, Senyavin saw Seyid Ali's ships. They were west of Lemnos. Senyavin immediately moved to attack.
The Battle Begins
Senyavin caught up with the Ottoman fleet between 8 am and 9 am on July 1. The Turkish battleships were in a straight line, heading north. Senyavin arranged his battleships in two parallel lines. Each line had five ships. He approached the Turks from the east. He hit the main Turkish ships in the middle of their line.
The Ottomans immediately started firing. They badly damaged a lead Russian ship, the Rafail. The other Russian battleships paired up. They turned north to fight the Turks side-by-side. Senyavin sailed to the front of his line. He had two battleships with him. He quickly put a leading Turkish frigate out of action. This made the battleship behind the frigate slow down. The whole Turkish line slowed down too. The two fleets fought until 10 am. Then the Turks started to break away. The Russians chased them.
At noon, the winds died down. Senyavin stopped the fight. The Ottoman fleet gathered east of the Mount Athos peninsula. The Russians stayed to the east of the Turkish fleet. Later that evening, a light breeze came up. The Ottoman fleet continued north towards the island of Thasos. During this time, the Turkish frigate Sadd al-bahr fell behind. The Russians captured it without more fighting.
On the morning of July 2, most of the Ottoman fleet was near Thasos. Two Ottoman battleships and a sloop were far behind. The Russians quickly attacked them. The Russians chased these three ships into the gulf west of Mount Athos. The Turks had to run their ships aground. Then they set them on fire. Two days later, on July 4, the Turks were seen setting two more damaged ships on fire near Thasos.
During this time, the Russian fleet gathered near Lemnos. Then they went back to their base on Tenedos. They helped defeat the Turkish marines there. The marines had been trying to capture the base for nine days. Meanwhile, the Ottoman fleet went back to the Dardanelles. They lost two more ships near Samothrace on the way.
What Happened After
Out of 20 Turkish ships in the battle, only 12 returned to the Dardanelles. They lost 3 battleships, 3 frigates, and 2 sloops. We don't know the exact number of Ottoman casualties. But it was thought to be very high. The Russians did not lose any ships. They had 79 killed and 189 wounded.
There were no more naval battles between Russia and Turkey near the Dardanelles. This was during the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-1812. The Treaties of Tilsit were signed on July 7. This agreement was between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander of Russia. It said that Senyavin’s fleet had to go back to the Baltic Sea. At that time, the British also started talking about peace with the Ottoman Empire. They showed their support by sending their own navy into the Aegean Sea.
See also
- Order of battle at the Battle of Athos
- Dardanelles Operation
