Battle of Athos

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Battle of Athos
Part of the Russo-Turkish War (1806-1812)
Battle of Athos 1807.jpg
The Battle of Athos by Alexey Bogolyubov
Date 19–22 June 1807
Location between Mount Athos and Lemnos.
Result Decisive Russian Victory
 Russian Empire  Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders

Russian Empire Dmitry Senyavin

Russian Empire Aleksey Greig
Ottoman Empire Seyit Ali
Ottoman Empire Bekir Bey (POW)
Casualties and losses
77 killed, 189 wounded

3 ships of the line, 2 frigates,

1 sloop, 1,000 killed, 774 prisoners



From his previous experience, Senyavin had learned that the Ottomans fought bravely unless their flagship was sunk or taken captive. He therefore ordered Aleksey Greig and other captains of his battleships to concentrate their attack on the three Ottoman flagships, whilst other Russian vessels were to prevent Ottoman frigates from delivering help.

The Russians approached in two parallel lines of five battleships each, turning north to run alongside the Ottoman line. During the battle 3 Ottoman battleships and four frigates - around one third of the Sultan's fleet - were either sunk or forced aground. The rest retired to the safety of the Dardanelles. On the way they scuttled another battleship and a frigate near Thasos on 4 July and lost a frigate and a sloop near Samothrace on about 5 July.

In the morning of 20 June it was revealed that the whole Turkish fleet, catching a tailwind, was going north to the island of Thassos. A battleship and two frigates (the former captain of the ship helped Bey) were cut off their squadron by the Russians. On 21 June Senyavin dispatched rear-admiral Greig with three ships of the line in pursuit of the latter, but the Turkish sailors threw their ships ashore and burned them. At dawn of 22 June in the retreating Turkish squadron exploded another battleship and a frigate, and two damaged frigates sank off the island of Samothrace. Of the 20 Turkish ships in Dardanelles, only 12 returned.




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