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| Battle of Cape Kaliakra | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theRusso-Turkish War (1787–1792) | |||||||
Bulgarian sailors at the monument to Admiral Ushakov on Cape Kaliakra | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 15[a] to 16 ships of the line 2 frigates 2 bomb vessels 1 schooner 1 fireship 17 sailing ships 998 cannons[1] | 18 ships of the line 10 large frigates 7 small frigates 43 to 48[b] small crafts 1,800 cannons[1] The coastal battery[c] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 17 killed and 28 wounded 1 frigate damaged[2] | Unknown, ships sustained heavy damage[2] | ||||||

TheBattle of Cape Kaliakra (Kaliakria,Caliacria;Russian:Калиакрийское сражение) was the lastnaval battle of theRusso-Turkish War (1787–1792). It took place on 11 August 1791 off the coast ofCape Kaliakra,Bulgaria, in theBlack Sea. Neither side lost a ship, but theOttomans retreated toIstanbul afterwards.
The Russian fleet underCounter (Rear) AdmiralFyodor Ushakov,[1] of 15 ships of the line and two frigates (990 guns), and several small craft sailed fromSevastopol on 8 August, and at midday on 11 August encountered theOttoman–Algerian fleet underHussein Pasha of 18 ships of the line and 17 frigates (1,500–1,600 guns) and some smaller craft at anchor just south of Cape Kaliakra. Ushakov sailed, in three columns, from the northeast, between the Ottomans and the cape, despite the presence on the cape of several guns.
Admiral Said Ali, the commander of the Algerian ships, weighed anchor and sailed east, followed by Hussein Pasha with the 18 ships of the line. The Russians then turned around south to a parallel east-south-east course and formed up mostly into one line, with Ushakov in third position and one ship out of line on the off-battle side. Said Ali, leading the line, turned north to try to double the Russian van, but Ushakov sailed out of the line and attacked him, as the rest of the Russian fleet approached. This was at 16:45 (4:45 p.m.). Gradually the Turks turned to the south and when darkness put an end to fighting at 20:30 (8:30 p.m.) they were in full retreat to Istanbul. Russian casualties were 17 killed and 28 wounded, and the frigateAlexander Nevsky was damaged. Ottoman casualty figures are unknown, but their ships were heavily damaged aloft.[2]
Some of the Russian vessels involved and their crew were:
The battle occurred near the end of the Russian-Turkish war, which ended with the signing of theJassy peace treaty.
For the victory at Cape Kaliakra, theOrder of Saint Alexander Nevsky was awarded to Admiral Ushakov.
43°22′27″N28°35′51″E / 43.37411°N 28.597412°E /43.37411; 28.597412