Battle of Navarin

Causes of the battle

General causes

By the Convention of London of the July 6th 1827, the France, the Great Britain and the Russia became the guarantors of Greek autonomy within the framework of the Ottoman Empire. If the Greek insurrectionists, in bad position, had rather easily accepted this situation, by respecting the armistice imposed by the Powers, the Othomans had refusé.
The Powers were then appropriate to send a joint fleet to intimidate the Egyptian troops of Ibrahim Pasha and to oblige them to evacuate the Morée. This fleet was ordered by the rear-admiral Edward Codrington, Henri de Rigny and Login Petrovich Geiden. The intervention was to be only one demonstration of force.
In fact, part of the fleet patrolled water of the area since more than one year. It had the role of fighting against piracy. The crews suffered to be able to make more. When the fleet was reinforced at the beginning of October and that it became obvious that the mission was consequently to exert a pressure on the Othomans, the crews were delighted. More especially as echoes of Othoman exactions and “ unjustifiable insults ” in the Peloponnese returned to the ears of the sailors. The crews were moreover more completely ready, having spent the previous months to multiply the firing practices. One came from there to wish a meeting who could degenerate into quarrel, even plus.

Immediate causes

The fleet turco-Egyptian woman was anchored in bay of Navarin where the Dartmouth by had twice gone, to bring to Ibrahim Pasha the outfall conditions suggested by the Powers. This one tergiversated and sought to save time. Not being able more to support this attitude, the Admiral Codrington decided the demonstration of force.
October 20th, 1827, around two hours, benefitting from a breeze from south-west, a fleet made up of 11 British ships, 8 Russian and 7 French, strong of 1270 guns, entered, full fabric, in bay of Navarin where the égypto-Turkish fleet, made up of 82 ships was (2438 pieces of ordnance and 16.000 men).
The flagship Asia entered the first bay. The fleet was on two lines. Just beside the British flagship the French flagship, the Syrène was.
The Asia stopped just opposite the fortress of Navarin, with the foot of which was installed the Othoman camp. The ships of the Powers were taken in a bow net of Othoman ships which only required to close again the trap. The ship of the lines were very close from/to each other, with a range of gun seulement.
The Admiral Codrington sent a launch to ground for parlementer with Ibrahim Pasha. A blow of gun, with white, was then drawn from the fortress. It was interpreted like a signal with the Othoman fleet to prepare with the action.
The wind had fallen. The ships were quasi-motionless, in any case with a capacity of reduced operation. The veils were brought besides. Moreover, part of the fleet, mainly the Russian ships, had not entered bay yet. It could not engage that later in the battle. Especially, it had to undergo the shooting of stopping coming from the forteresse.
The Admiral Codrington had been clearly: no gun, no weapon, was to draw unless it is not in answer to an Othoman shooting. However, the ships were to have their cables of boarding ready to be useful and Codington had concluded its orders by quoting Nelson: “ No captain edge C very wrong who places his ship alongside off any enemy. ” (“ a captain cannot really be mistaken while placing its ship beside an enemy. ”)
A scathing attack, at the end of the Othoman line, threatened the Dartmouth directly. A boat, ordered by Lieutenant Fitzroy, was sent to him to require of him to move. The scathing attack drew on the British boat, killing Lieutenant Fitzroy, first victim thus of the battle and part of its rameurs.
The Dartmouth and the Syrène retorted with their fusils.
The battle had started whereas the flagships had not exchanged only one shot yet, like wanted it the tradition.

The battle

The quantity of warships contained in such a small bay was impressive.

Composition of the fleets and provision

1. British squadron 2. Squadron française
3. Russian squadron 4.Flotte turco-Egyptian woman
5. The launch sent by the Dartmouth to the scathing attack turc.
6. and 7. Scathing attacks Turkish
the other numbers correspond to the depth in English fathoms]]

The ships of the Ottoman Empire (Turkish, Egyptians and Tunisian) were very numerous, but of weak tonnage:

3 ship of the lines
20 frigates including some of 60 guns
30 corvettes
28 brigs
5 schooners
a half-dozen of scathing attacks.

The fleet was embossée out of horseshoe, on the right its three ship of the lines, at the bottom its frigates of 60, on the left its frigates of less gauge. The corvettes, brigs and schooners composed a second and third line which were to support of its fire the first.

Ships of Powers. The British occupied the line of the line, the French the center and the Russians the left:

7 ship of the lines
10 frigates
4 brigs
2 schooners
1 cutter

For the various powers:

British:

3 ship of the lines: the Asia 84 guns (flagship) (Vice Admiral Sir Edward Codrington; Captain Edward Curzon; To order Robert Baynes Lambert), the Genoa 76 guns (Captain Walter Bathurst; To order Richard Dickenson), the Albion 74 guns (Captain John Acworth Ommanney; To order John Norman Campbell).
4 frigates: the Glasgow 50 guns (Hon Captain. James Ashley Maude), the Cambrian 48 guns (Captain Gawen William Hamilton, C.B.), the Dartmouth 42 guns (Captain Thomas Fellowes, C.B.), the Talbot 28 guns (Hon Captain. Frederick Spencer).
Brigs and schooners: the Rose 18 guns (To order Lewis Davies), the Mosquito 10 guns (To order George Bohun Martin), the Brisk 10 guns (To order Hon. William Anson), the Philomel 10 guns (To order Viscount Ingestre).
Cutter: the Hind 6 guns

French:

3 ship of the lines: the Breslaw 84 guns (Captain Bretonnière), the Scipion 80 guns (Captain Pierre Bernard Milius), the Trident 74 guns (Maurice Captain).
2 frigates: the Syrène 60 guns (flagship with two bridges) (Rear-admiral Henri de Rigny), the Armide 44 guns (Hugon Captain).
Brigs and schooners: the Alcyon 10 guns, the Daphne 6 guns

Russians:

4 ship of the lines: the Gangut 84 guns, the Azov 80 guns (flagship), the Iezekiil 80 guns, the Aleksandr Nevskii 80 guns
4 frigates: the Provornyi 48 guns, the Konstantin 44 guns, the Elena 38 guns, the Kastor 36 guns

Unfolding

The scathing attack, very dangerous, beside the Dartmouth remained the primary goal. Men of the Dartmouth and Rose tried to seize some when its crew exploded it, killing all the British and damaging the ships with proximité.
An Egyptian frigate sent a broadside to the Dartmouth which retorted in the same way. All its balls touched the Egyptian hull. But the Dartmouth was taken under the fire of three frigates and a corvette. The Armide came to its rescue. The Hugon captain who ordered it operated in such way never not to obstruct British fire. When the French vessel seized the Turkish frigate finally, it raised the French and English flags there, showing thus that it had done nothing but complete the work started with the Dartmouth .
The Othoman sailors and artillerists seemed inexperienced. They missed coordination and even seemed not to be included/understood on same a navire.
The Asia was taken between the fire of the Guhu-Dreamed (Turkish flagship of Tahir Pasha) and of the Ishania . It had to draw from the broadsides of the two edges. The vessel was strongly damaged, but Codrington remained on the bridge, in the middle of the grapeshot. He would have said “ Thank God ” (“ Merci, my God ”) while seeing entering the Russian fleet bay towards 15:30. It had been delayed by the absence of wind. The Azof was placed at its side and took care of the Turkish flagship which ends up exploding. The Ishania , on fire went to be failed. Codrington had been seriously blessé.
The scathing attacks all were destroyed before reaching to them cible.

At six hours, at fallen the night, after four hours of engagements, the battle ceased. The majority of the Othoman ships had exploded, run, had been failed, had been captured or were very damaged (shot down masts for example). Some fled towards their home port Alexandria.

Assessment

With fallen the night, the Othoman fleet had lost 29 ships and 6.000 men. The Powers deplored only 174 dead and 475 blessés.
The victory was accommodated in various ways. The British expressed mixed feelings. King Georges IV, in his speech from the throne of 1828 qualified the event of “ annoying ”. Russia hid its satisfaction badly. As for France of Charles X, then impressed strong spirit of crusade, it jubila openly. Metternich, favorable to the maintenance of balance, of the status quo, in Europe rose against “ an insult without equivalent”.

External bonds

Cartes of the Maritime National Museum
Description of the battle by Eugene Sue
Description of the battle by a British officer
William James ( Naval History off Great Britain ) proposes:

a detailed account of the battle
Of the figures and facts concerning the battle of which the report/ratio by Codrington itself with the British Admiralty

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