Battle of Fidonisi

The naval Battle of Fidonisi took place on 14 July 1788 (OS) between the fleets of the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 in the area of Snake Island, which in Greek was called Fidonisi (Φιδονήσι). It was a Russian victory.

Events

On 10 July, the Turkish fleet under Kapudan Pasha (Grand Admiral) Hasan Pasha was seen to the NW by the Russian fleet, which had left Sevastopol under Rear-Admiral Count Voynovitch on 29 June and had reached Tendra on 10 July. After three days of manoeuvering or lying becalmed in sight of one another, the fleets found themselves near the island of Fidonisi, about 100 miles south of Kinburn.

Voynovitch formed a line on the port tack NE and then SE as the wind veered. The Turks bore up and attacked from windward just after 3 pm. The leading Russian ships, the frigates Berislav and Stryela, forced the leading Turks out of line, but were in danger of being cut off until the Russian second-in-command Feodor Ushakov aboard Sv. Pavel closed the gap.

Hasan Pasha then attacked the leading Russian ships, while his Vice- and Rear-Admirals attacked Voynovitch, but his ship damaged, Hasan himself had to leave the line and just before 5 pm the Turks withdrew. They had lost 1 xebec sunk.

Between 15 and 17 July, the Russian and Turkish fleets manoeuvered to the west of the Crimea; on 18 July, the Turks had disappeared. They sailed back to Ochakov but made no attack.

Ships involved

Russia (Count Voynovitch)

Preobrazhenie Gospodne 66 (Преображение Господне 66)
Sv. Pavel 66 (Св. Павел 66)
Sv. Andrei 50
Sv. Georgii 50
Legkii 44
Perun 44
Pobyeda 44
Stryela 44
Berislav 40
Fanagoria 40
Kinburn 40
Taganrog 34
24 small craft

Turkey (Hassan el Ghazi)

5 80-gun battleships
12 other battleships
8 frigates
21 xebecs – 1 sunk
3 bombs
some small craft

Sources and references

• Naval wars in the Levant 1559-1853 - R. C. Anderson ISBN 1-57898-538-2