Battle of Sinop

30 November 1853, Sinop harbour, Black Sea coast of Anatolia

Decisive Russian victory

Admiral Nakhimov's squadron caught an Ottoman squadron of frigates and corvettes at anchor in Sinop and destroyed it with explosive shells, the first major use of shell guns at sea. Wooden ships burned or blew up, about 2,700 of 4,200 Ottoman sailors were killed, and Russian guns then set the town on fire. The shock helped bring Britain and France into the war, and showed that unarmoured wooden ships could not survive shellfire.

Imperial Russian Navy

11 ships, none lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Imperatritsa Maria Nakhimov's flagship	Ship of the line	Survived
Parizh	Ship of the line	Survived
Velikiy Knyaz Konstantin	Ship of the line	Survived
Tri Sviatitelia	Ship of the line	Survived
Chesma	Ship of the line	Survived
Rostislav	Ship of the line	Survived
Kulevchi	Frigate	Survived
Kagul	Frigate	Survived

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Paddle steamers Odessa, Krym and Khersones, which arrived late in the action.	3	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Paddle steamers

Odessa, Krym and Khersones, which arrived late in the action.

Ottoman Navy

12 ships, 9 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Taif The only Ottoman ship to get away	Steamer	Escaped

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Frigates Avni Illah, Fazl Illah (the Russian Rafail, captured in 1829), Nizamieh, Nessin Zafer, Navek Bahri, Damiat and Kaid Zafer. Navek Bahri blew up; the rest burned or were run aground.	7	7
Corvettes Feyz Mabud ran aground and Kel Safid blew up. The fate of Nejm Fishan is not recorded.	3	2
Other steamer Erkelye. Her fate is not recorded.	1	0

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Frigates

Avni Illah, Fazl Illah (the Russian Rafail, captured in 1829), Nizamieh, Nessin Zafer, Navek Bahri, Damiat and Kaid Zafer. Navek Bahri blew up; the rest burned or were run aground.

Corvettes

Feyz Mabud ran aground and Kel Safid blew up. The fate of Nejm Fishan is not recorded.

Other steamer

Erkelye. Her fate is not recorded.

Map

Nakhimov sails for Sinop November 1853
Taif carries the news home November – December 1853