Siege of Taganrog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Taganrog |
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| Part of the Crimean War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Russia |
 United Kingdom France |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Yegor Tolstoy Ivan Krasnov Yevgeny Pfeilizer-Frank |
Edmund Lyons Armand Joseph BruatBéral de Sedaiges |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Russia 3,200 men 3 warships: Унылая (Cheerless) Секстант (Sextant) Акерманъ (Akkerman) 2 barges 3 armed launches |
United Kingdom 2 paddle gunboats 1 armed raft 1 unarmed paddle tug 1 unarmed steam packet 12 armed launches France2 paddle gunboats 4 launches |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 470 killed and wounded, including civilians 3 warships destroyed |
1 wounded 3 prisoners 1 gunboat destroyed |
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The Siege of Taganrog describes naval attacks by British and French forces on the city of Taganrog in Russia. These attacks happened between June and November 1855 during the Crimean War. The goal of the British and French was to cut off supplies to the main Russian army. These supplies often traveled through the Sea of Azov. Taganrog was a very important supply center for the Russian army. On June 3, 1855, the city was attacked, and its military supplies were destroyed. This was part of a plan to hit all major Russian supply bases in the area. Only Rostov-on-Don was safe because it was too shallow for warships to reach.
Contents
Why Taganrog Was Attacked
In the spring of 1855, the Crimean War had been going on for two years. The British and French decided to start fighting in the Sea of Azov. They believed this would help them cut off the Crimea region from Russia. It would also stop supplies from reaching Russian forces by sea. To do this, they first needed to take control of the Strait of Kerch. This narrow waterway connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov.
Taganrog was chosen as a target because of its location. It sits on a piece of land that sticks out into the Sea of Azov. The British and French saw it as a good stepping stone to reach Rostov-on-Don. If they captured Rostov-on-Don, they could threaten the Russian army from behind.
The British and French prepared a large force for this "Azov Campaign." They gathered 16,000 soldiers and about 40 small warships. Meanwhile, Taganrog's leader, Nikolay Adlerberg, was replaced by Yegor Tolstoy. Tolstoy was an older general who had fought against the Turks. In April 1854, he took command in Taganrog. He worked with Ivan Krasnov, who led the local Don Cossacks. Tolstoy had about 630 soldiers and three groups of Don Cossacks. He also recruited 250 local men to form a "home guard." Taganrog did not have strong defenses or modern cannons at that time.
Military Actions
Destroying the Supply Depot
The British and French began their operations in the Sea of Azov on May 24, 1855. They landed troops on both sides of the Kerch Strait. They quickly captured the cities of Kerch and Enikale. After this, their naval forces destroyed a Russian coastal defense at Kamishevaya Bay. Then, they entered the Sea of Azov.
On the evening of June 1, 1855, a group of British and French ships arrived near Taganrog. This group included 5 paddle steamers and 16 armed small boats. They anchored about 8.5 miles from the city. On June 2, a British ship called HMS Recruit checked the waters near Taganrog. On June 3, the Recruit returned with a white flag, asking the city to surrender its military supplies. They also asked Russian soldiers to move five miles away and for civilians to leave.
Other ships joined the Recruit, including the British paddle steamer Danube and the French paddle aviso Mouette. Many small armed boats also came. One interesting vessel was the raft Lady Nancy. It had a special protected dome with a large cannon inside. This design was an early idea for the modern gun turrets used on warships today.
General Tolstoy refused the demands. The Recruit then lowered its white flag and began firing at the town. The Danube, Mouette, and Lady Nancy joined the attack. A small boat landed Lieutenant Cecil Buckley and Boatswain Henry Cooper. They set fire to the military supply buildings. They then returned to their ship. Both men later received the Victoria Cross, a very brave award, for their actions. All the grain, wood, and tar supplies were burned. All the boats in the harbor, including a Russian gunboat called Akkerman, were also destroyed. The Customs House and main government buildings were set on fire.
General Tolstoy reported that the allies had landed a large force near the Old Stone Steps and Greek Church. He claimed that his Cossacks and local volunteers pushed them back.
The allies had only one person injured during this attack. Russian losses were much higher. The gunboat Akkerman was destroyed. Also, four months' worth of food supplies for the main Russian army were lost.
After achieving their goal, the allied ships moved on. They attacked Mariupol on June 5 and Gheisk on June 5 as well. By mid-June, almost every coastal town on the Sea of Azov had been attacked. Their supplies were destroyed to prevent them from reaching the Russian army.
Ongoing Operations
After their supply bases were destroyed, the Russians sent more Cossack groups to the Sea of Azov region. This brought the total number of Cossack groups to 16. They tried to make Taganrog and other places stronger. In Taganrog, they built an earthwork battery for cannons. On July 19, Commander Sherard Osborn checked Taganrog from his ship, HMS Jasper. He saw the new battery being built. The Jasper fired two shells at the battery but got no response.
Soon after, HMS Jasper became the only allied warship lost in the Azov campaign. On July 23, it ran aground near the town of Sedjove, west of Taganrog. Many reports say that local fishermen moved buoys that marked water depth, causing the ship to get stuck.
Another story says the Jasper had just destroyed a Russian fort and was carrying captured cannons. This made the ship sit deeper in the water, causing it to run aground. After a day of trying to free the ship, and under fire from Cossacks, the crew of the Jasper was rescued. The ship was then sunk by its own crew. Don Cossacks later boarded the wrecked ship. They captured two cannons and 60 shells. They also took the ship's flag as a prize. The cannons were sent to a church in Taganrog, which was used as a military base. They were then moved to Cherkassk and used in coastal defenses. The Cossacks eventually blew up the stranded ship.
On August 5, 1855, Commander Osborn returned to Taganrog. He brought HMS Vesuvius, HMS Grinder, and HMS Wrangler to destroy the new battery. They fired at the Russian soldiers defending it. Then, a landing party went ashore and took control of the battery. They took some cannons as prizes and threw others into the sea. They then blew up the battery before leaving. A few days later, Taganrog's defenses were made even stronger. About 4,000 more soldiers arrived.
Patrols continued in the area. In early September, a group of ships including HMS Recruit and HMS Curlew rode out a storm near Taganrog. They were planning to attack Russian forces at the mouth of the River Don. But when they got there on September 13, the storm had already driven away all the Russian defenders. A small group from the Wrangler tried to destroy some fishing boats near Mariupol. They were ambushed by Cossacks and captured. Patrols continued through October. The last patrol of the year checked Taganrog on November 20. They found no ships left in the harbor. On November 24, Osborn took his remaining ships out of the Sea of Azov as the sea began to freeze for winter.
What Happened Next
Russian forces in Taganrog stood down on June 21, 1856. Life in the city slowly returned to normal. The Crimean War caused a lot of damage to Taganrog. It cost the city more than one million rubles. Twenty large houses were completely destroyed, and 74 were damaged. One hundred eighty-nine other buildings, mostly places to store grain and goods, were also destroyed. Another 44 were damaged.
Because of the damage, Tsar Alexander II allowed the people of Taganrog not to pay taxes for the year 1857. Many soldiers from Taganrog were honored with medals and military awards for their bravery during the siege.
Images for kids
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Mansion of Ioannis Varvakis that was known as the House with Bullets as the building was filled with bullets and cannonballs during the siege in 1855
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Monument to defenders of Taganrog in 1855.
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"LADY NANCY" raft covering the raiding party on 3 June 1855
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Russian engraving of the bombardment of 3 June
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Another Russian engraving of the same incident
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Cannonball in the wall of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Church, probably fired 5 August 1855 during the destruction of the battery in the grounds of the church.
See also
- History of Taganrog
- Siege of Sevastopol (1854)
