Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 663 Black Sea Naval Battle (Part 1)

Just as the ground war along the Danube and in the Caucasus Mountains reached a bloody stalemate, a maritime contest that would determine the fate of the empire was brewing in the Black Sea, a body of water known as the "Russian inland lake." For Naser al-Din, the Black Sea route was a lifeline connecting his Eurasian territories; troops and supplies from Iran needed to pass through here to support the Ottoman front in Europe.

For Alexander II, the Black Sea Fleet was the cornerstone of his southward strategy. Controlling the Black Sea meant he could threaten the Ottoman heartland and even directly bombard Constantinople.

What does Russia's control of the Bosphorus Strait mean? For them, it's a springboard from a regional power to a global empire. Through the Black Sea straits, Tsarist Russian merchant ships could freely access the Mediterranean, reaching markets in Europe, Africa, and Asia. More importantly, their naval fleet could break through the Black Sea, this "inland lake," and truly venture into the world's oceans.

Throughout Tsarist Russia's century-long history of expansion, it has been a history of vying for access to the Black Sea. From Peter the Great's first invasion of Azov in 1695, to the annexation of Crimea in 1783, and the subsequent Russo-Turkish wars in the 19th century to the acquisition of the Caucasus and Balkans, each step was aimed at controlling the Black Sea straits.

However, the Ottoman Empire firmly guarded the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, a choke point that seemed to have Russia by the throat. This geopolitical suffocation drove generation after generation of Russian rulers to expand southward relentlessly.

Therefore, Russia has high hopes for this breakthrough.

After Russia broke through the limitations of the Paris Treaty, it began large-scale warship construction, by which time it already possessed more than 15 battleships, over 20 cruisers, and a large number of gunboats and auxiliary vessels. Its main force was permanently stationed in Sevastopol, making it a formidable force.

To restore naval strength, the Tsar spared no expense. When raw materials were insufficient, they were imported; when time was too tight, large numbers of farmers were gathered and made to work for free. Behind these fleets lay the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

The Ottoman Empire benefited from the former Sultan's obsession with the navy, even emptying the national treasury to purchase six of Britain's most advanced battleships. This also included approximately ten protected cruisers and a large number of auxiliary vessels. The Iranian Navy also came to support from the Suez Canal. Although its total tonnage and number were far inferior to the Russian navy, its core ships possessed newer technology, highly targeted speed and firepower configurations, and its officers and men were in high spirits and eager for revenge.

Admiral Andrei Popov, commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, issued a blockade order. The Russian fleet, based in Sevastopol, began frequent patrols in the western and southern Black Sea, attempting to cut off shipping along the Ottoman coast and bombard coastal facilities to support a ground offensive.

On April 22, the Iranian protected cruiser Alberz spotted and intercepted the old Russian paddle steamer "Dnieper," which was transporting supplies to the Russian army on the Danube front, and an old wooden gunboat escorting it, near the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria.

Captain Reza Khan of the HMS Albertz decisively ordered an attack. Utilizing its speed and range advantage, outside the effective range of the Russian gunboats, the Albertz unleashed several precise salvos from its 150mm main guns. The shells accurately struck the boiler room of the Dnieper, causing a violent explosion, and the ship quickly sank. The escorting Russian gunboats attempted to close in and return fire, but were firmly suppressed by the Albertz's secondary gun fire, ultimately fleeing in disarray amidst thick smoke and casualties.

Although the battle yielded little result, it greatly boosted the morale of the fleet. When news reached Constantinople, Nasser al-Din personally ordered a commendation for all the officers and men of the Albertz.

Admiral Popov was furious. He considered it an insult to him and the Black Sea Fleet. He was determined to teach these arrogant enemies a lesson they would never forget. He judged that the main force of the Combined Fleet, in order to support the Ottoman western front, was likely located in a port in the western Black Sea, such as Varna or Burgas in Bulgaria. He devised a bold plan: to assemble the main force of the Black Sea Fleet, including 8 battleships, 12 cruisers, and a large number of auxiliary ships, forming a massive task force, with himself commanding the flagship, the magnificent battleship Sisoy, heading straight for the western Black Sea, seeking a decisive battle with the main force of the Combined Fleet, and destroying it in port or at sea.

On May 10, this massive Russian fleet sailed out of Sevastopol and headed northwest. The Russian movements were quickly detected by observation posts along the Ottoman coast and by reconnaissance ships of the Combined Fleet operating outwards. Alarms were rapidly relayed back to the Combined Fleet headquarters in Constantinople.

Faced with the Russian army's all-out attack, disagreements arose within the command. Some old-school Ottoman officers advocated avoiding battle, relying on the strait fortresses and coastal artillery for defense, believing that going out to sea to meet the enemy would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.

But Admiral Xerxes overruled the objections: "The Russians believe we will only cower. If we avoid battle, they will, as they did during the Crimean War, indiscriminately bombard our coast, block our shipping lanes, and demoralize us. We must strike!"

The Russian fleet is large, but its speed varies and its fleet is a mix of old and new ships. Having made the long march from Sevastopol to Varna, they must be exhausted. His plan is to concentrate all his main forces, including all the Shahrbaz-class warships, and instead of waiting for them in the western Black Sea, to proactively move eastward, bypass them, and strike directly at their vulnerable rear, along the Crimean Peninsula coast!

This plan sent chills down the spines of everyone present. It meant that the Combined Fleet would be operating alone deep in enemy territory, and if captured by the main Russian forces, the consequences would be unimaginable.

While the risks are enormous, the rewards are equally enormous. They could shell Russian ports and warehouses in Crimea, and even threaten Sevastopol itself! This would force the Russian fleet to come to their aid, relieving the siege in the west and forcing the enemy to fight under circumstances they chose that were unfavorable to them.

After obtaining Nasser al-Din's approval, the main force of the Combined Fleet quietly sailed out of the Bosphorus Strait late at night on May 12, extinguished its lights, and, under the faint moonlight, stealthily headed northeast toward the Crimean Peninsula.

Over the next two days, a tense strategic maneuver unfolded in the Black Sea. The Combined Fleet carefully avoided major shipping lanes, utilizing all possible weather conditions to conceal its movements. Meanwhile, the Russian fleet, urged on by Popov, rapidly advanced towards Varna.

On the morning of the 14th, a thick fog enveloped the western Black Sea. As if by fate, the two massive fleets passed each other on parallel routes in this area of ​​extremely low visibility. The Russian lookouts seemed to hear faint engine noise in the distance, but the fog obscured everything. Popov attributed it to noise from his own fleet or an illusion, and didn't investigate further. His only thought was to reach Varna as quickly as possible, find and eliminate the hiding enemy.

On the same day, reconnaissance ships of the Combined Fleet confirmed that the main Russian force had already headed west, and the road to Crimea was clear. Xerxes ordered: "Full speed ahead! Target: the southern coast of Crimea!"

(End of this chapter)